A Magical Story
by Eternalscibe41
Summary: He won the war, but at great cost! Now wanting a new life, Harry passes through the Veil and enters a new world. After meeting Yoda, he is then thrust into the story of Star Wars, and helps the heroes on their journeys. On hiatus!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 1

A small, slender man stood in a room, devoid of anything but himself and a archway covered with a veil. The man, although slender, moved with the grace of a skilled warrior as he approached the veil. The numerous scars covering his face attested to this fact. Dressed in stylish clothes, which accented his well-defined muscles, he produced an attractive image. His black hair was tied in a ponytail, and his glowing green eyes stared impassively at the veil, as though attempting to divine the mysteries it held.

The man began to circle the veil, whispering to himself, "A pathway to another place."

As he came full circle around the veil, he tilted his head and recalled why he was doing this.

*FLASHBACK*

"And to the man who made this all possible with his defeat of the Dark Lord, we present this Order of Merlin First Class." finished the man pompously as he held out a gaudy medal to the grieving man next to him. "This is but a token of our appreciation to the man we gave everything so that we might be able to rest easy at night.

"You might be able to, but I can't." thought Harry. "Not after everything." As he thought back to the the nightmares he'd seen, his body accepted the medal and said a quick, previously rehearsed speech about the war and his joy at it's finish. He remembered going to the Auror training camp, and seeing the devestation there, the bodies strewn everywhere, with open wounds that had long stopped bleeding. The obvious pain and terror in the dead peoples faces and the sounds of the aurors who had accompanied him to the site, throwing up in a nearby hedge. As horrendous as that had been, it was but one of many.

He remembered visiting his friends, Ron and Hermione, who had gotten married. The outside of the house had appeared fine, but as he let himself inside, he was able to see the frightening visage that awaited indoors. Ron's body lay scattered around the hall, his head standing upright against a door, a pained expression permanently etched upon his face. Quickly, he had walked across the hall, which was covered in a red, sticky substance his mind catagorised as blood, and entered the living room.

Hermione was still alive, drooling against the sofa, as she lay naked. It was obvious that the death eaters had enjoyed having her unarmed and unable to defend herself. Blood slowly made it's way down her body as her face lifted and her mouth opened as she stared at him. From the state of her mouth, it appeared that the Death Eaters had pulled her teeth out, one by one, as they tortured her. Her eyes were blank and it was obvious she didn't recognise him. Sending a quick spell at her that knocked her unconscious, he began to explore the house as he looked for their young three year old daughter. He didn't have to look too far because she was laying on the kitchen table, cooked and with an apple in her mouth and with a large plate beneath her. A notice was nailed to her body.

"Hello Harry,

We know you were invited around for dinner and that mudblood hadn't even started cooking yet, so we prepared a meal for you. Enjoy.

Love your friendly Death Eaters."

Grimacing as more and more of the cruelities of the death eaters flashed before his eyes, he also saw the dessecrated bodies of his all his friends, Luna, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati and Padma, Katie, Angelina, Alicia, Cho among the members of the DA, the Hogwarts Professors with the exception of Professor Dumbledore who had died of his wounds as he protected Harry from Death Eaters as the "So-Called Chosen One" fought Voldemort, even some of the Order of the Phoenix he had grown close too, like Mad-eye and Tonks. The Death Eaters had taken particular relish in torturing and killing all his friends.

"Harry, Harry." a incessant voice broke him from his memories. Looking up, he spotted the smiling face of Tracey Davis, one of the few survivors of their Hogwarts year, if of course Harry, Tracey, Hermione (who had lost her mind after the attack on her house) and Draco Malfoy who was rotting in Azkaban could be called survivors. "You were lost, again. Weren't you?"

"Hello, Tracey." His mournful tone answered the pretty Slytherins question for her.

"You can't keep going on like this. You'll drink yourself to an early death if you keep on going the way you are." That was Tracey, alright. She called it the way she saw it, and had no qualms about speaking her mind.

Turning away from the woman, he looked out the window where people where celebrating the fact they were still alive. "Everyone always says I was so brave to do everything I did, when the truth was, I wasn't. In the beginning, maybe, but towards the end, I wasn't. I began throwing myself in the line of danger, seeking death because I was too afraid to keep on living. And now, now I don't even have the guts to kill myself, so instead I'm simply drinking in the hopes of forgetting the past few years."

"I think I'd want to die as well if I'd gone through what you had. I mean, everyone out there has lost someone or in most cases more than one. You lost everything, and you had a lot to lose. Me, I lost my family and Daphne. That's all. I think I wanted to die when that happened to me."  
"How'd you get over it?" Harry replied.

"You don't. You get used to it. You move on with your life and try to make the best of things, but you won't wake up suddenly feeling better. You will always have that feeling of pain and loss inside. But the question is; do you have the courage to move on?"  
"Even if I could, what would I move on to? All I can do is fight, but I can't become just another hired wand, I'd have to fight for a cause."  
"Well then, find a cause to fight for. Find a person to fight for so they don't go through what you did."

Tracey's answer sounded so simple, as though it was the only possible thing to do. And perhaps, for her, it was. But that last remark she made before leaving stuck with Harry, reverberating around his mind as though mocking him. But he couldn't find anything to fight for, sure there were Dark Lords rising a few countries, but all were weak enough for their Government's to defeat them easily enough. Eventually, he found a reference to the Veil in the Department of Mysteries. Remembering that Sirius had fallen through, he began to research it before finding a theory about it. That instead of leading to the Land of the Dead, it led to another world. Either way, it was a win-win situation, he either joined his family and friends or he entered a new world where he could make a new life and be able to find something to do.

*END FLASHBACK*

And now, here he stood, staring at the Veil which would take him to his next adventure, and end his horrible existance one way or another, and he was hesitating. What if this new world was even worse than his own. Casting aside his doubts, he strode forward into the Veil.

**I know, cliché, he goes through the Veil. But nothing is known about it, and I thought it would be a good way of getting Harry into the world of Star Wars. The other chapters will be longer, this is more of a prologue.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars. They belong to George Lucas and J.K. Rowling, who incidently does not have a K anywhere in her actual name.

Chapter 2

As he entered the Veil, he felt a weightlessness as he entered a pitch black area and began to float, spinning out of control. Quickly, he lost all sense of direction and began to feel as though his very life force was being siphoned away. Mustering his will, he pulled it back even as he spun more and more wildly. Suddenly, he stopped and began to float in the air before a current began to push him in one direction. Unsure where he was going, he allowed himself to drift along.

After a short time he hit a surface with a thud. The darkness he saw slowly began to disappear, before being replaced with the image of a street in a large city. Looking up, he saw a small green creature that looked similar to a house-elf looked down at him. "Awake, are you?"

*SCENE BREAK*

Thinking back on the first time he saw Yoda, he thought of the intervening years between now and that day. Yoda had tested him for midi-chlorians and found an extremely high concentration within him, although he didn't specify how high. However, he still hadn't been invited to become a jedi due to his age. Yoda had, however, decided to travel for a few years, and took Harry with him and trained him in how to use the force and how to use a lightsaber, as well as how to use the much more advanced technology of this world. It had also been Yoda who had dragged him from his depression, and by doing so formed Harry's opinion of him. That he was a great warrior and a great conversationalist, but foremost, he was a great person. He had taught Harry that great warriors are not great men, but rather that a great man can also be a great warrior, and now in return for his kindness, Harry was now helping Yoda out by rescuing the queen of Naboo, whose planet was being invaded by the Trade Federation, because Yoda had a bad feeling about what was happening.

That now meant a 24 year old Harry Potter now had an illusion on himself so he would appear an old man and was standing in an alleyway, watching the queen and her entourage being escorted by a number of droids. Hobbling out of the alleyway while leaning on a cane, he began to move towards the group coming his way. Above himself he could hear two men talking, "Should we help that old man before the droids kill him?"  
"No young padawan, the force tells me that he is an ally."

"Ah," thought Harry, "That's where the jedi had gotten too."

By this stage, the droids had taken notice of him and one began to move towards him. "Where are you going?" it intoned in it's mechanical voice.

"To Coruscant." Harry replied. As the droid processed this reply, he extended tendrils of the force around each droid, a technique apparently unique to him, and prepared to slice each in two.

"Not acceptable destination." the droid said before falling to the ground as Harry acted. Throwing off his disguise, he turned to the stunned Queen and said, "They annoyed me. Out of curiosity, do you have a ship because mine was blown up by the Trade Federation?"

As he spoke to the queen, her guards armed themselves with the weapons of decapitated droids and the two jedi jumped down behind them while a Gungun simply fell.

"We're ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor." said the older jedi.

"Your negotiations seemed to have failed, Ambassador." replied one of the queens advisors.

"The negotiations never took place." replied the jedi.

"Out of curiosity here, why are two jedi from a foreign planet coming to negotiate with the Trade Federation because they are blockading a foreign world. Should a member of the Naboo not done so instead?" asked Harry curiously, still unsure as to the political power of the Jedi.

"The jedi are keepers of the peace, we are trusted to negotiate for each planet in the republic to avoid war." the jedi replied, before turning back to the queen, "It is urgent we make communication with the Republic."  
"They've knocked out all our communications." replied one of the Queen's guards.

"Do you have transports?"

"In the main hangar, this way." he replied before leading the group away.

As they made their way to the hangar, the queen spoke to Harry. "I thank you for helping us."

"It was no problem, it's why Master Yoda sent me."  
"You are a Jedi then?"  
"No, simply force trained. But I owe Yoda a favour. I'm Harry Potter."

"A pleasure."

Soon they reached the door of the main hangar. "There are too many of them." said the outspoken guard.

"That won't be a problem." replied the older Jedi. "Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us."  
"Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is with my people."

"They will kill you if you stay."  
"They wouldn't dare." said an advisor.

"They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion legal. They can't afford to kill her."

"There is something behind all this, Your Highness. There's no logic in the Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you."  
"Our only hope is for the senate to side with us. Senator Palpatine will need your help."  
"Either choice presents great danger." answered the queen, before turning to her handmaidens and continuing, "To us all."

One of the handmaidens answered, "We are brave, Your Highness."

"If you are to leave, Your Highness, it must be now."  
"Then I will plead our case to the Senate. Be careful Governor." She finished before the group walked into the hangar.

"We need to free those pilots."  
"I'll deal with that." replied the young Jedi, before heading away to the pilots.

The group was halted by a set of droids who had a short conversation with the old Jedi, which ended in the droids dying. As the other droids began to fire at the group, Harry drew his Lightsaber and began to deflect the blaster shots back at the droids, while also using the force to send them flying. As they were defended by Harry and the jedi, the pilots were freed and managed to run into the ship after the queen and her guards. Quickly, the Jedi and Harry ran up as well after destroying the last of the droids in sight. As he felt the familiar weightlessness of flying, Harry realised they had taken off and were attempting to run the blockade.

An alarm went off and a number of droids left and went into an elevator, even as Harry sat down and began to rest.

Suddenly, out the window, Harry could see the blockade behind them, the pilots had ran the blockade, a belief strengthened by the obvious happiness on the others faces. Looking up, he saw the two jedi walking out of the cockpit. They gestured at him to follow, before saying to him, "I'm Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, my padawan. And you are?"  
"Harry Potter. I was trained in how to use the force by Master Yoda, but rejected by the Jedi due to my age. Yoda had a bad feeling about your mission and asked me to help. I owe him and so I agreed."  
"We are going to speak with the Queen. Will you come?"  
Harry nodded and the trio set off for the room in which the Queen had set up court. The guard was there that had been so outspoken on the journey, "Captain Panaka." Qui-Gon informed Harry.

Captain Panaka began, "An extremely well-put-together little droid, Your Highness. Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives."  
"It is to be commended. What is it's number?" replied the Queen. As the Captain began looking over it, the little droid began to make happy chirping noises.

"R2-D2, Your Highness."  
"Thank you, R2-D2. Padme. Clean this droid up as best you can. It deserves our gratitude. Continue Captain."

Instead, Qui-Gon stepped forward. "Your Highness, with your permission, we're heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It's in a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation."  
"I do not agree with the Jedi on this." interrupted Panaka.

"You must trust my judgement, Your Highness." finished Qui-Gon. At his words, Padme led the little droid out of the room, and sensing the meeting was at an end, Harry slipped out as well. Seeing Padme enter the main room and begin cleaning the droid, Harry followed her in.

"Would you mind answering a question?" Harry asked.

Padme looked up from her work. "Of course."  
"Why is it that you are more heavily burdened than your Queen?"  
"What?" the girl replied, startled.  
"And why is it that the Queen looked to you for guidance and leadership when she made the decision to leave Naboo?" Harry continued as though Padme had not spoken at all.

"We are very close and she has grown to trust me."  
"I'll say you're close. In fact, unless I miss my guess, I would say she's in this very room with us right now."  
At his words, the girl looked shocked, and slightly guilty at her deception being caught out.

"I'm Harry Potter, and you are?"  
"Padme Amidala."  
"A pleasure to meet you."

Leaving the girl to wonder on the conversation, Harry walked out of the room and headed off to find a quiet corner to sleep in.

**I'm trying to slowly build his relationship with the more important characters, and I hope I'm suceeding in portraying Harry as a very perceptive person, because he doesn't know much about these strange planets, he observes more and would pick up on these little details. At least that's what I think. But please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars. They belong to J.K. Rowling and George Lucas, respectively.

Chapter 3

"Harry." Obi-Wan's voice pulled Harry out of his slumber, causing Harry to jump to his feet, lightsabre in hand before realising there was no threat.

"Sorry, I don't sleep well." said Harry, noticing Obi-Wan's shocked face.

"Never mind. It's just we landed on Tatooine and Qui-Gon is heading into town. I was wondering if you wanted to go with him."

"Yes, I would. Thank you for waking me." That said, Harry sheathed his lightsabre and headed off the ship seeing Qui-Gon and the Gungun waiting for him.

"Hello Harry, I see my young padawan awoke you. This is Jar-Jar Binks. Now we should go now so we have as much time as possible to find the hyperdrive generator." As he finished his last sentence, he turned and began walking in the direction of the town. They hadn't gotten very far when a cry halted them. Turning, they saw Captain Panaka and Padme walking up behind them.

"Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you." Panaka stated, with a slight hint of reluctance.  
"No more commands from Her Highness today, Captain." replied Qui-Gon. "The spaceport is not going to be pleasant."

"The Queen wishes it. She's curious about the planet."

"This is not a good idea. Stay close to me." Once more Qui-Gon turned to begin heading to town.

"The Queen wants to learn about the planet then. Why not simply ask one of us once we return?" Harry whispered to Padme.  
"The Queen wants a first hand account of what happens." replied Padme imperiously.

As they reached the edge of the town, Qui-Gon remarked, "Moisture farmers for the most part. Some indigenous tribes and scavengers. The few spaceports like this one are havens for those who don't wish to be found."  
"Like us." said Padme.

"Dissen berry berry bad." moaned Jar-Jar.

"Please, I'm finally feeling comfortable again. This is the type of place I like. Cheaters, liars, gamblers, and absolutely no politicans. What could be better?" said Harry. Padme answered with a dark look.

"Oh, icky icky goo." said Jar-Jar as he stepped in something.

"That's not goo." remarked Harry.

As the group kept walking and gazing around, Qui-Gon was looking for something. Eventually he stopped and said, "We'll try one of the smaller dealers." before walking into a nearby shop.

A grotesque flying creature greeted them in Huttnese, and Qui-Gon answered by saying, "I need parts for a J-type 327 Nubian."  
"Ah, yes! Nubian. We have lots of that." replied the flying creature before turning and yelling something to a person behind him. A small boy entered and had a small conversation with the creature, who then continued speaking to Qui-Gon, "So... let me take thee out back, huh? Ni you'll find what you need." Qui-Gon began to follow him out back, before turning to Jar-Jar, "Don't touch anything." who stuck his abnormally long tongue out at Qui-Gon's back. As Jar-Jar and Harry looked around the shop, the boy asked Padme, "Are you an angel?" causing Harry to snort.

Padme turned to boy, "What?"

"An angel. I heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They live on the moons of lego, I think." replied the boy.

"Trust me kid, it wouldn't matter where she was from, she would never be an angel." cut in Harry.

Padme shot a murderous look at Harry, again, before asking the little boy, "You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"  
"I listen to all the traders and star pilots who come through here. I'm a pilot, you know, and someday I'm gonna fly away from this place."  
"You're a pilot?"  
"Mm-hmm. All my life."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since I was very little. Three, I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, and she lost us betting on the podraces."

"You're a slave."  
Here Harry cut in again. "Most people out here are either slaves or slave owners."

The boy angrily replied to Padme, "I'm a person and my name is Anakin."

"I'm sorry. I don't fully understand. This is a strange place to me." Just then there was a commotion as Jar-Jar touched something which exploded into action.

"Where-Wheres yousa goin?" Jar-Jar asked the droid which was making a break for freedom, before chasing it and falling over, causing the little droid to laugh and Harry to remark, "Now I know why you came. Comic relief."

Jar-Jar eventually managed to grab it and said, "I got ya."

Anakin shouted at him, "Hit the nose." Jar-Jar promptly did so and the droid shrunk back into it's inactive state.

As Harry looked out the door and saw Qui-Gon walking back, he heard Anakin angrily say, "Wouldn't have lasted so long anyways if I wasn't so good at building things."  
Just then Qui-Gon came in, and before Harry could ask him if he got the parts, Qui-Gon said curtly, "We're leaving. Jar-Jar."

As Harry followed him out the door, he could hear Padme say to Anakin, "I'm glad to have met you, Anakin." before walking out the door.

Anakin shouted after them, "I was glad to meet you too."

The group walked into an alleyway, and Qui-Gon had a quick conversation with Obi-Wan to see if they had anything they could use to bargain with. When that proved profitless, they began to walk away.

Hearing a commotion behind them, they saw a creature that stood on it's hands choking Jar-Jar who was lying on the ground. Then they saw Anakin come up and exchange a few words with the creature who released Jar-Jar. As they made their way back to the two, the creature walked away and Anakin said to them, "Hi."

"Hi there." Qui-Gon replied.

"Your buddy here was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug, an especially dangerous Dug called Sebulba."  
Jar-Jar remarked, "Mesa haten crunchen. Das da las ting mesa want."  
"It's the last thing most people want." remarked Harry, just before Qui-Gon rebuked the Gungun.

"Nevertheless, the boy is right. You were heading into trouble. Thanks my young friend." Before the group with Anakin trailing behind them headed off.

Anakin eventually stopped the group outside a stall, before turning to them and saying, "Here, you'll like these pallies. Here."

Qui-Gon thanked him and as he put the item away, he revealed his lightsabre to the boy for a second.

The old woman said, "Oh, my bones are aching. Storm's coming up, Ani. You better get home quick."

Anakin turned to the four and said, "Do you have shelter?"

Qui-Gon replied, "We'll head back to our ship."  
"Is it far?"  
"It's on the outskirts." replied Padme.

"You'll never reach the outskirts in time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come on. I'll take you to my place." said Anakin before leading them away.

"You should tell him not to be so forward. Where I come from, you don't invite someone into your house until at least the third date." whispered Harry to Padme so noone else could hear. Padme promptly hit him on the shoulder. "Still, at least you were somewhat useful. I doubt he would be so eager to help us if you weren't here."

Padme hit him again. "Ow." said Harry mockingly.

**Well, what do you think? Please tell me by reviewing.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars. They belong to J.K. Rowling and George Lucas.

Chapter 4

Moments later, they could feel the sandstorm already reaching their location as they neared Anakin's house, which was more of an apartment than anything else. Covering their faces from the sand, they entered the house as Anakin shouted, "Mom! Mom, I'm home!"

Looking around the small house, Jar-Jar said, "Ahh, dissen cosy." even as a middle aged woman emerged from a doorway.

"These are my friends, Mom." Anakin told his mother.

The ever friendly Jar-Jar instantly spoke up, "Hello."

As Qui-Gon introduced himself to Anakin's mother, the boy turned to Padme, "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?" before pulling her along saying, "Come on. I'll show you 3PO."

Univited, Harry and R2-D2 wandered after them into Anakin's room, where Anakin was pulling a cover off a half-completed droid.

"Isn't he great? He's not finished yet."  
Padme praised the boy, "He's wonderful."

"You really like him?" asked Anakin. "He's a protocol droid to help Mom. Watch." before reaching over and pressing a button on the humaniod droid's neck. It's eye instantly light up.

The droid rose from the bed, "Oh. Oh. Where is everybody?"

The boy turned away from the droid for a second before picking up another eye and giving it to the droid.

"You built this yourself? That's incredible. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Harry said.

Anakin smiled at him, "Thanks. It wasn't that hard."

The droid spoke up, interrupting their conversation, "I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. How might I serve you?"

Smiling at 3PO, Padme said, "He's perfect."

The droid replied, "Oh. Perfect."  
"When the storm is over, I'll show you my racer. I'm building a Podracer." This was, of course, Anakin.

Just then 3PO stood up, "I'm not sure this floor is entirely stable." before turning to R2-D2, "Oh hello. I don't believe we have been introduced."  
The droid beeped excitely, before 3PO replied, "R2-D2. A pleasure to meet you. I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. I beg your pardon, but what do you mean, "naked"? My parts are showing? My goodness! Oh!"

"Don't worry," said Harry. "It's nothing we haven't seen before."

Soon enough, it was dinner. As the group sat down, Anakin's mother, who was called Shmi, began to serve them, while explaining about slavery.

"All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their bodies somewhere."  
"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate mine." said Anakin.

"Any attempt to escape..."  
"And they blow you up! Boom!"

"How wude!" said Jar-Jar.

"Not to mention being a big inconvenience." remarked Harry, before Padme who was still stunned about the issue, spoke up.  
"I can't believe there's still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic's antislavery laws..."

"The Republic doesn't exist out here." interrupted Shmi. "We must survive on our own."  
"It's the same in other poor planets. The Republic does nothing to help those who can not repay them." cut in Harry.

"Has anybody ever seen a Podrace?" asked Anakin, eager to change the subject.

"They have Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous." answered Qui-Gon, before Harry added.

"I have seen many races, but never one in which all the drivers finish the race."

"I'm the only human who can do it."  
"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods." replied Qui-Gon before his hand shot out, catching Jar-Jar's tongue as it shot out to grab an apple. "Don't do that again."

Here Anakin cut in, "You're a Jedi knight, aren't you?"

Padme looked at Qui-Gon nervously, who said, "What makes you think that?"

"I saw your laser sword. Only jedis carry that kind of weapon."

"Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him."

"I don't think so. Nothing can kill a Jedi."

"I wish that were so."

Harry interrupted the conversation between the old Jedi and the animated boy, saying, "I'm no Jedi." while pulling his lightsabre out, but kept it turned off.

Qui-Gon studied it, before saying, "That's Master Yoda's old lightsabre. How'd you get it?"  
"He gave it to me as a birthday present, seeing how I'm not allowed to make my own."  
"Why not?" asked Anakin.

"I'm not a Jedi, and so the Republic's Law states I'm not allowed to make one."

Anakin spoke up again, "I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves. Have you come to free us?"  
"No, I'm afraid not." replied Qui-Gon.

"I think you have. Why else would you be here?" replied Anakin before looking around at the visitors.

"I can see there's no fooling you, Anakin. We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission."  
"How did you end up out here in the outer rim?"

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it." replied Padme.

"I can help. I can fix anything."

"I believe you can," replied Qui-Gon. "But first, we must accquire the parts we need.."  
"With nothing to barter with." added Harry.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind." probed Padme.

Shmi spoke up, "Gambling. Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."  
"Podracing. Greed can be a powerful ally." Qui-Gon stated.

"Or adversary." retorted Harry.

"I built a racer. It's the fastest ever." bragged Anakin. "There's a big race tomorrow on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod."

"Anakin!" interrupted him mother. "Watto won't let you."

"Watto doesn't know I've built it. You could make him think it was yours, and get him to let me pilot it for you."  
"I don't want you to race. It's awful. I die everytime Watto makes you do it."

"But, Mom, I love it. The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need."  
"Anakin."

"Your's mother's right." cut in Qui-Gon. "Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who can help us?"

"No." was the reply. At Shmi's answer, a desolute silence fell over the group as the visitors pondered how they would get off this planet, and the natives wandered how they could help.

Anakin's voice interrupted the silence, "Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other."

His mother sighed, and then Padme said, "I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We'll find some other way."  
Shmi looked at her, before saying, "No. There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. He was meant to help you."

At his mother's words, Anakin looked up and then at Qui-Gon, thrilled at being able to help.

"Alright." said Qui-Gon.

**How was that? Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars. They belong to J.K. Rowling and George Lucas.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Padme woke up Harry who had managed to fall asleep in the corner of the hall after Shmi's generous offer of an overnight stay to the travellers.

"Harry? Qui-Gon and I are going to Watto's. Are you coming?" she queried.

"Of course. Just give me a second." was Harry's tired reply. Padme nodded and headed outside, leaving Harry to make his way to his feet while trying to shake the bleariness out of his eyes. Giving it up as a lost cause, he began to walk out the door, while also checking to make sure his wand and lightsabre were safe. Unconsciously, his hand also strayed to his right arm where his blaster had been. At long range, he had been nearly unstoppable, firing the blaster rapidly while using magic with pinpoint accuracy. He'd have to get another. Stepping outside the door, he saw Qui-Gon, Jar-Jar and Padme waiting for him.

"We are wasting daylight, and we need to get there before noon to stay out of the warmest part of the day. People have been known to collapse in heat such as we will face." stated Qui-Gon before leading the group to Watto's in relative silence. They had just reached the shop when Padme spoke up."Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know? The queen will not approve.""The queen doesn't need to know." replied Qui-Gon wryly.

"Well, I don't approve." was Padme's angry response as she sat down. Qui-Gon ignored her and entered the store and began to speak to Watto.

"The boy is unique." said Harry, breaking the silence.

"What?" answered Padme confusedly.

"Why we trust him. He is unique. The force marks him as having special significance, and so Qui-Gon, like all other Jedi would, is attempting to find out why."

"Well still, I don't like that we are gambling everything on some boy."

"Gambling." stated Harry as though he had just come to a conclusion.

"What?" asked Padme.

"Tell Qui-Gon I'll meet him back at the Skywalkers later." answered Harry as he walked away, although Jar-Jar's sentence still reached his ears.

"Hesa is odd."

Meanwhile, Harry had come to a sudden epiphany. He would bet his lightsabre on Anakin winning the race, and when Anakin won, would use the money to buy himself a blaster, but if Anakin lost, well, Harry could always apparate away. He strode into another shop and approached the human behind the counter.

"I'd like to place a bet." Harry said curtly.

The human looked up, before spreading his arms, "Well, you've come to the right person. I'm Kelli, but on to business. What are the terms of your bet?"

"How much would this lightsabre be worth?" asked Harry as he unveiled the weapon.

"How'd you get it?"

"I killed a Jedi in Malastare."

"Oh, I can offer you 300 ingots."

"How much is a blaster in these regions?""Around 1000 ingots for a used one, 1500 to 2000 for a good one.""I'd like to wager this lightsabre on Anakin Skywalker to win the Podrace.""The slave. He's never finished a race before never mind won, so odds are 25-1. I'll make you an offer, the boy wins and I'll give you a good blaster and 6000 ingots. Now hand over the lightsabre."

Harry looked at the man menacingly, while manipulating his aura to appear intimidating.

"You know what, you come to my box for the race and if you lose you can give it to me then.""You better bring the money." said Harry as he left the shop, holding a betting slip in hand. What he had just done vaguely reminded him of during the war against Voldemort when he had entered pubs in Knockturn Alley in disguise to seek information on Voldemort. It had been there he had gained his affection for smugglers and gamblers.

As he exited the shop, he looked around to find his bearings before heading back to the Skywalkers. As he entered, he realised the others had arrived before him as Padme was sitting in a chair.

Padme looked up at him, "What were you doing?"

"I made a bet." answered Harry.

"With what and why?"

"An item and to make money." answered Harry with a wry grin, before sitting down.

"And I thought you were going to be vague about it." answered Padme irritably, before she stood up. "Well, I'm going to see if I can help Anakin with his Pod."

Harry sighed, before standing, "I might as well try and help." He followed Padme out to the back of the house where Anakin, Jar-Jar and the two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, were gathered around Anakin's pod. The pod simply had a control seat, attached to two engines. As he and Padme approached Anakin, a number of children approached, one green scaly creature and 4 humans, two girls and two boy. One of the boys looked around and saw R2-D2, before exclaiming, "Wow, a real astro droid. How did you get so lucky?"

Anakin walked forward, closer to the boy, before answering proudly, "That isn't the half of it. I'm in the Boonta race tomorrow."

"What? With this?" replied the boy.

One the girls, who appeared to be older than the others, continued, "You've been working on that thing for years."

The younger girl picked up the conversation, "It's never gonna run."

The other boy, who had been silent before this, said, "Come on, let's go and play ball. Keep racing, Ani. You're gonna be bug squash."

As Harry listened to the conversation, he remarked to Padme, "I'm suddenly a little worried."Padme looked up at him, before replying, "So am I. Do you think he can get it working before tomorrow?"

"Well, he got that droid working fine. So hopefully."

As they were speaking, Jar-Jar had managed to get his hand stuck in the engine fan, and was attempting to pull it out. From across the working space, Harry heard 3PO turn to R2-D2 and say, "You know, I find that Jar Jar creature to be a little odd."

Harry muttered to himself, "So do I." Although from the snort Padme gave, she managed to hear the comment. Looking around he saw Anakin climb into the cockpit of the racer, and Qui-Gon approaching him from behind, before handing over a power charge to Anakin.

The Jedi then grabbed Anakin's friend and pulled him away saying, "Come on, Kitster. Let's move away."

Seeing Anakin about to power up the Pod, Harry sighed and walked over to Jar-Jar before pulling his hand free saying, "Come on. Anakin's starting up the engine."

The Gungan thanked him before following Harry away from the Pod. Harry looked at Padme who had a slightly nervous look on her face.

"What? Think it's gonna blow up or something?""I do now." was the reply as Padme backed up a bit. Looking at Anakin, he saw him fiddling with some controls, causing the engine to start.

As the two engine's started to shake, Padme stepped forward with a relieved expression.

Then Anakin, with a look of absolute joy on his face, exclaimed, "It's working! It's working!"

"See." said Harry. "Nothing to be worried about."

"Then why were you holding your lightsabre so tightly?" was the wry reply.

"To stop it running away." mumbled Harry.

**Just a word of warning to all my fans, I start school again next Tuesday and so my updates will slow quite a lot, to maybe one or two updates spread through all my stories. But, as always, please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter or Star Wars. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to JK Rowling and George Lucas, I think. I do not profit from this story in any way and own only the plot, I do not own the characters.

Chapter 6

The next morning, Harry woke as the sun came through his windows and hit his eyelids. The light grew in intensity and began to drag Harry out of his state of unconsciousness. Slowly, Harry stood and as he reached his feet, Padme came into the room in which Harry had fallen asleep the night before.

"Harry. You coming? The race starts in a little under an hour." was the query.

"Yeah, I'm coming, although I won't be sitting with you lot at the race." was Harry's reply. The final part of his sentence caused Padme to look at him curiously before asking,

"Why not?"

"I've been invited to sit in a friends box."

"Why didn't you ask this friend of yours for money instead of letting Qui-Gon go through with this idiotic friend?" asked Padme with a hint of anger in her voice.

Smiling at how well masked the anger was, and realising Padme was one of those kids who had went through training while very young to control her emotions, Harry wryly replied, "I said he was my friend, I didn't say he liked me."

The corner of Padme's mouth quirked up into a hint of a smile, before she answered, "We're leaving in a minute, if you want to come, or you can go now with Qui-Gon."

SCENE BREAK

Harry walked in the preparation room for the podracers, while taking in the sights of all the magnificent pod, all meticulously polished, as the hustle and bustle of last minute preparation occurred. As he, Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar had entered, they had immediately been accosted by Watto. "I wanna see your spaceship the moment the race is over."

"Patience, my blue friend. You'll have your winnings before the suns set." replied Qui-Gon. "And we'll be far away from here."

"Nice to know you're confident in Anakin's abilities." added Harry sarcastically.

"Don't get me wrong, no. I have great faith in the boy. He's a credit to your race, but, uh, Sebulba there is going to win, I think." Watto replied, before waving his hand at the vaguely familiar Dug who was being massaged by two Twi'lek. Upon closer inspection, he realised it was the Dug who had had a ... disagreement with Jar-Jar in the street just two days before. From Jar-Jar's frightened exclamation, he realised this too.

"Why do you think that?" asked Qui-Gon.

"He always wins!" laughed Watto.

"First time for everything." replied Harry.

"Not for this, I think, no." answered Watto. "I am betting heavily on Sebulba."

"I'll take that bet." challenged Qui-Gon."

"You what?" was the shocked reply.

"I'll wager my new racing pod against, say, the boy and his mother."

"No pod is worth two slaves, not by a long shot.""The boy, then." replied Qui-Gon, undeterred.

Watto replied, "We'll let fate decide, huh?" before pulling a die out of his pocket. "I just happen to have a chance cube here. Blue it's the boy, red the mother."

"I can't help but notice that there is more red sides than blue." added Harry.

Watto's only reply was a chuckle and then he threw the dice onto the ground where it rolled. A subtle hand gesture from Qui-Gon later, and it landed blue side up.

"You won the small toss, outlander, but you won't win the race!" said Watto angrily. "So it makes little difference." before storming off.

"Leave it to fat, huh?" asked Harry."

Qui-Gon chuckled, before replying, "The cube was biased against us, so I evened the odds a little."

Harry smiled in response, before he turned to watch Watto who had stopped to have some words with Anakin, who had just arrived with his mother, Kitster and Padme.

Together, he, Jar-Jar and Qui-Gon approached the new entries who had arrived upon some sort of horse-like transport. Together, he and Qui-Gon helped Padme and Shmi down, not needing to help Kitster and Anakin who had leapt off themselves. Padme smiled gratefully and said, "I thought you were staying in a friends box?""The race hasn't started yet, so thought I'd offer my support to Anakin." answered Harry before turning to Anakin who had been speaking with Kitster.

"This is so wizard, Ani." said Kitster, with his choice of words causing Harry to smile. "I'm sure you'll do it this time."

"Do what?" asked Padme.

"Finish the race, of course." answered Kitster as though the answer were obvious.

"You've never won a race?" asked Padme, her voice audibly shocked.

"Well, not exactly." began Anakin, before Harry cut in.

"More, he hasn't finished a race yet. Good for me, though, means the odds on him winning are much higher than they would otherwise be."

Padme glared at Harry and was about to yell at him, most likely for not sharing this information earlier, before Anakin spoke up, "Kitster's right, I will this time."

Qui-Gon, who had been slowly approaching the group, answered, "Of course you will. But for now, we have to go out, the race is about to begin."

Harry replied, "I got to go, my...friend is waiting for me." before rushing off, leaving Padme to explain.

SCENE BREAK

"I wasn't sure you were gonna show up." said Kelli, who was flanked by two large, but also humanoid, bodyguards who wielded large blasters. "Place the lightsabre on the table." commanded Kelli, pointing at a table upon which a bag filled with money and a blaster had already been placed on it."I hope you don't mind me checking." asked Harry as he walked over to the table, and not even waiting for an answer began counting the money, and checking the blaster.

Satisfied, Harry placed the lightsabre he had been given by Yoda onto the table before sitting down next to it. "I suppose this is one of those things were the winner takes everything on the table?"

"Of course. No funny business though, or I go to the Hutts.""Ditto." replied Harry, before continuing, "Oh, look. The race is starting."

Kelli, and both of his bodyguards, turned to look out upon the race track, where the podracers were firing up their engines. The pod had a cockpit, attached to two engines situated in front of the cockpit, with both engines being larger than the cockpit. As they fired up the engines, a pick line of electricity connected both cockpits, before the engines began to whirl and smoke began to come out of the engine as they prepared for take off and the flaps on the side of the engines opened for maximum oxygen circulation, to prevent overheating before the race began. During the race, the air would fly through the engine and cool down the engine, before exiting through the flaps which could only be opened upon command from the driver, or from sufficient pressure pushing out from the inside. Although Harry wasn't completely sure of how it worked, he understood that pods were brilliant invention, although incredibly complex, and that for a 9 year-old slave to have built one was simply a work of brilliance.

"Any second now." muttered Kelli excitedly, before a gong went and the race began.

The image of dozens of pods starting up and flying forward immediately was impressive, and one not likely to be forgotten by any who saw it, in fact, such was it's brilliance and the awe it inspired, it took a second for Harry to realise that Anakin and another podracers hadn't managed to take off, but had instead stalled.

The commentator was quick to point this out to the amused audience.

"Great start, eh?" asked Kelli, chuckling.

"He's lulling the others into a false sense of security." replied Harry wryly, but despite his positive outlook, inside he was quite worried. He didn't like going back on his word, but if need be he would grab his lightsabre and obliviate Kelli and his bodyguards before fleeing, and was actually preparing to do so when Anakin took off. "See!" asked Harry, before settling down to wait while watching Anakin on his handheld TV which had been provided by the race holders.

SCENE BREAK

"A pleasure doing business with you." said Harry, as he picked up the money, blaster and lightsabre, before placing them in various holsters and adjusting his cloak to hide some of his weapons.

Kelli only grumbled, before saying, "If you ever come back to Tatooine and need something, come see me."

Harry laughed, "Of course." Over the course of the race, Harry and Kelli had taken part of some light banter, and Harry had been impressed by the gambler's quick wit. "I'm gonna go congratulate the winner. See you."

SCENE BREAK

Harry entered the room which had previously served as a preparation room, but was now pretty empty except for people clearing away their stuff.

"Good going, Ani." The easily excited Gungan's voice drifted across the room to Harry, who upon hearing the group, began making his way over to them. Harry reached the group just as Anakin was enveloped in a hug from Padme.

"Yes. Anakin, you did marvellously. One of the best I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few."

Anakin smiled at him, "Thank you."

Padme spoke to Anakin, "We owe you everything, Ani." before stepping away from Anakin slightly, who was immediately accosted by his mother.

"It's so wonderful, Ani. You have brought hope to those who have none. I'm so very proud of you."

"Yes, my young friend. You are a very special boy." added Harry. "I am proud to have known you."

Anakin smiled at him, and although most of his face, except for where his goggles had been, was covered in dirt, Harry was able to tell that Anakin had blushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Hello, everyone." said Qui-Gon, who had entered unnoticed by any but Harry. "We thank you for your hospitality, but if we are to repair our ship we need to head back now."

Slowly, the group who owed much to the two slaves stood and began to move away, with many farewells and thank you's exchanged.

SCENE BREAK

"I wish there was something we could do to help them." said Padme to Harry. The duo had been following Jar-Jar and Qui-Gon back to the ship in relative silence, and had just reached their destination.

Harry smiled, "I think we have done much to help them."

Padme looked at Harry confusedly, but Harry only continued to smile before saying, "We should be able to leave soon, most likely some time tonight or early tomorrow."

Harry looked ahead, where Qui-Gon had just begun speaking to Obi-Wan, before he had turned back and jumped aboard the strange camel-horse thing that had been used for transport. Qui-Gon slowly began making his way back the way they came, and passed Padme and Harry who had fallen slightly behind.

"Where are you going?" asked Padme.

"I have some unfinished business." answered Qui-Gon with a smile, before continuing on.

Padme turned to Harry. "You know what he's doing, don't you?""Of course I do. In case you hadn't noticed I'm omniscient." replied Harry wryly.

Padme laughed, and was about to speak when Obi-Wan's voice interrupted them, "O omniscient one, I beg your help." Padme laughed again.

"I require help to finish repairing the ship, and none of the queens entourage know anything about ships."

"All right, I suppose I can give you a hand, and the benefit of my advanced knowledge." replied Harry.

SCENE BREAK

Harry stood on the loading bay of the ship, waiting for Qui-Gon and their new companion to appear, and saw them cresting a hill, with Qui-Gon a short distance ahead of Anakin. Qui-Gon turned and yelled something at Anakin who dropped, just before a flying transport came flying by and a cloaked figure appeared, wielding a crimson blade that reminded Harry of blood.

This time, when Qui-Gon yelled at Anakin, Harry heard, "Go! Tell them to take off!"

Harry relayed Qui-Gon's command onto the pilot in the cockpit before returning to the staircase where people could board the ship, just in time to see Anakin do so.

"Get behind cover." commanded Harry before looking out at the battle between Qui-Gon and his assailant. Harry drew his wand and blaster, but hesitated before firing, unwilling to attack in case he hit Qui-Gon. There was a short lull in the fight just as the ship began to move forward, and would pass the duel. Harry took aim and began to fire at the cloaked figure with both blaster and wand, which was barely visible due to the high pace it was moving at. To any onlooker, it was easy to see why Harry had defeated Voldemort when so many others had died. The cloaked assailant turned and began to batter away the attacks, although he was visibly struggling, even though Harry's rate of fire was decreasing due to the increasing speed of the ship.

Qui-Gon was unable to take advantage of his attacker's lack of concentration as he was forced to leap aboard the ship.

"Thank you, Harry." said Qui-Gon, who wasn't even breathing hard after his furious, but short, battle.

"Anytime, old man." replied Harry. "On second thoughts, maybe not." causing Qui-Gon to chuckle.

The hissing of a door opening caused Harry and Qui-Gon to turn slightly.

"Are you alright?" asked Anakin curiously.

"I think so." answered Qui-Gon.

"What was it?" queried Obi-Wan, suddenly every inch the curious padawan.

"I'm not sure, but it was well trained in the Jedi arts." replied Qui-Gon.

"I'm more interested in why it was attacking you." added Harry.

"I don't know, but I think it was after the queen."

"How would it have tracked us here?" asked Harry. "Everyone here knew there were to be no communications going off the planet."

"What are we gonna do about it?" interrupted Anakin.

"We shall be patient." sighed Qui-Gon.

"We are too far away from it now for it to bother us immediately, but I think it will attack again, but we'll be ready." continued Harry.

Qui-Gon smiled, before saying, "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Hi." greeted Anakin. "You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you."

His pompousness in the final sentence of his greeting caused both Qui-Gon and Harry to chuckle.

"Well, I'm gonna go grab a nap. Space travel bores me." said Harry, breaking the silence which had descended upon the four force sensitive's.

**Well, what do you think? Please review. I tried to deviate from the movie a bit, but kept it realistic, I hope, especially in terms of Harry's interference in Qui-Gon's fight. Sorry about the delay, but I watched one of the movie's again, and realised things happened differently than I remembered, and realised my plot wouldn't make sense, so I had to rewrite it before I could do this chapter. To make up for the delay, I wrote the longest chapter of the story so far.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter or Star Wars. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to JK Rowling and George Lucas, I think. I do not profit from this story in any way and own only the plot, I do not own the characters.

Chapter 7

Harry's mind flew into a alert state as a voice interrupted his slumber. He had fallen asleep in the main chamber of the space craft, with Jar-Jar nearby and Anakin in the corner. "The death toll is catastrophic." Harry's eyes were tracking the noise back to it's source even before his mind had processed the information. As he spotted the origin of the noise, he saw one of the handmaidens wearing her red cloak as she listened to a hologram speak. "We must bow to their wishes. You must contact me." As the recorded message ended, Harry realised it had been a transmission from Naboo, most likely an advisor of some sort to the queen. The recipient of the message bowed her head slightly in sadness, before Harry stood up and noiselessly made his way over to her. She turned and saw him approaching at the same time Harry realised it was Padme who had awoken him. "Did I waken you?" she queried.

Having not spoken since before he went to sleep, Harry's throat was a little dry, causing him to rasp in response, "No."

"Are you O.K.?" asked Padme, concern clear on her face.

"Just a little thirsty, I'll be fine." replied Harry, his voice already near normal. "But you must not contact anyone, the risk of interception is far too high.""I know," replied Padme, "It's just... I can't bear to be fine here while others suffer, especially others I swore to protect.""There was a man on my home planet," answered Harry, "who was known as Jeremy Bentham. He was a great teacher, and believed that the right action was the one that brought the most happiness to the greatest number of people. You bow to their wishes, and this death toll will become the norm for your planet. Plus, there is no real way to determine if this message is authentic or whether he has been forced to contact you."

Padme nodded, and began to reply when she saw something behind Harry. Harry turned in response, legs already spread apart for balance even as his newly acquired blaster flew to his hand and his other hand sprang for his lightsabre. As he raised his blaster into an attacking position, he saw the object of Padme's attention, and holstered his weapons. "Wow." said Padme. "Nice reflexes."

Harry nodded and replied, "An unfortunate side effect of war." Smiling, Harry and Padme approached the awake Anakin, "I apologise, Anakin, if we woke you."

"It's very cold Harry." responded the young boy. Harry smiled at the despondent boy, before drawing his wand and gesturing in Anakin's direction.

"How did you do that?" asked Anakin, amazed.

"It's called a warming charm. It's something people on my planet invented during the cold winters." replied Harry. "Your planet is much warmer than space, and your body isn't used to the cold here."

"Tatooine was very warm." added Padme. "No wonder is was so filled with desert."

The young boy looked at Padme perceptively, and said, "You seem sad."

"The Queen is worried." answered Padme, cleverly avoiding saying that she was worried." Her people are suffering, dying. She must convince the senate to intervene, or... I'm not sure what'll happen."

"We'll figure out something." continued Harry. "There was a great strategist on my planet known as Capa Blanca, who when asked how far ahead he planned for war, replied, "One move." We'll do what he did, and make it up as we go along."

"What happened him?" asked Anakin.

"He died, but his message did not. You must live in the now, not the future nor the past. What will come, will come, and all we can do is meet it head on." replied Harry.

Anakin stretched his hand out, revealing something hidden in his hand, before speaking to Padme, "I made this for you." As he handed it to Padme, Harry could see it was a block of a strange material, with carvings on it. "So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet. It'll bring you good fortune."

"I have a feeling, young one." stated Harry. "That even without our help, sooner of later, you would have escaped slavery on your own." The barely noticeable tone of awe in Harry's voice made the tanned child blush, although it was hardly noticeable. "That is a wonderful carving, and you are a very skilled young boy.""It's beautiful." added Padme. "But I don't need this to remember you by.""She's right." continued Harry, as he pulled out his blaster. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have got this blaster, I won it in a bet that you would win that pod race. Although, I wouldn't have lost my blaster if I hadn't had to go to Naboo in the first place." Harry finished mock angrily, making Padme and Anakin smile.

"Anakin. What my friend is trying to say is that we'll always remember you. No matter how many years pass, I doubt my caring for you will change." said Padme.

"I care for you both too, only I..." responded Anakin.

"Miss your mother." finished Padme.

"I have lost many friends and family over the years, more than most have in fact, and I can tell you, although you'll always miss those you've lost or been forced to leave behind, it will become easier to deal with as time goes on." consoled Harry. As he finished, Panaka entered the room.

"We're approaching Coruscant now, just another hour and we'll be landing." Harry smiled, "Just one more hour until I can speak to Yoda again."

SCENE BREAK

The ship landed on a floating platform in the middle of the iron jungle that was Coruscant, where a greeting party had already assembled. As they landed, the door opened and a staircase began to extend to the ground, preparing the way for the ship's inhabitants to make their way to solid ground. Anakin went to make his way of first, before Harry pulled him back, "It is traditional that the person with the highest office make their way off the ship first. That will be Queen Amidala." Suitably chastised, Anakin nodded, before apologising. As the mixed group made their way off the ship, the two Jedi approached the waiting group and bowed. There were two people waiting in the welcoming party, while the others both appeared to be bodyguards. The man on the right, a weathered old man with a gleam of knowledge in his eyes, spoke first to the Queen, or more accurately, the Queen's double who had just approached. "It is a great gift to see you alive, your Majesty." before continuing with the greetings, something Harry paid very little attention to. One of his many problems was Harry's complete inability to abide politics, something that had annoyed the Wizengamot back home, however, because of Harry's straightforward approach to politics but his overwhelming reputation, most politicians saw him as very subtle, hiding his true aims behind his facade. It just proved the old saying right, people will see what they want to see. Looking back at the party, Harry noticed that the political party had moved away, although Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both waited behind. Qui-Gon turned to Harry, "Will you be coming with us to the Jedi temple?"

"Of course." answered Harry. "Yoda wants me to speak with him."

Qui-Gon nodded, but Obi-Wan asked, "Why do you speak so familiarly about Yoda?"Harry answered his mouth to speak, but Qui-Gon interjected, "Yoda found him in a street in Coruscant, and took him to the Jedi temple. We found out he was force-sensitive, but because of his age, he was rejected for training, despite his great strength and potential. Yoda disagreed with the council's decision, saying something about how he would be a catalyst for our era and so left for a few years with Harry and trained him, eventually giving Harry his lightsabre as, because of Jedi law, he could not teach Harry how to do so himself, nor sell the lightsabre."Obi-Wan looked at Harry, perhaps realising for the first time that the Jedi disagreed among themselves and that others who weren't Jedi could use the force anyway. "I was very lucky, and still am, to have such a good friend in Master Yoda. He is one of the few Jedi I respect, one of three actually, and one of them isn't even a Jedi Knight yet." smiled Harry, having gotten to know the two Jedi during the journey, and had sparred with them on a number of occasions, his unorthodox style allowing him to claim an undefeated status. As they finished speaking, they looked at the group who were leaving, among them was Anakin who looked at the trio confusedly. Qui-Gon waved at him, wordlessly telling him to follow the others. Padme turned to Anakin and called him, before smiling back the trio and waving.

SCENE BREAK

Harry entered the Jedi counsel hall, where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were already waiting along with the rest of the counsel. Mace Windu spoke up, "Ah, Mr. Potter, you have arrived."

"Evidently." replied Harry sarcastically, before bowing deeply in respect to Yoda, completely ignoring the others. As he did so, he heard some of the Masters muttering among themselves about his insolence and the lack of respect from the young nowadays, causing Harry to smile. Yoda smiled in return, obvious joy in his face at his friends return.

"Old friend, report will you." said Yoda in his odd manner of speaking.

"When you sent the message to me, I was on Dantooine. I left quickly, and made by way to Naboo, upon entering it's airspace, I was engaged in battle by a number of fighters, and was forced to crash-land on Naboo, fortunately quite close to the palace. Upon my arrival, I noticed a lack of civilians in the city, and as I made my way to the palace, I saw the Queen being escorted by droids and liberated her. We then escaped with the help of these Jedi, and after a short landing on Tatooine for parts, managed to arrive here."

"Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spoke of an assailant as they attempted to leave Tatooine. What was your view of this attack?" questioned Mace Windu.

"He was skilled, but unable to multitask, as evidenced by his inability to handle my distance attacks and Qui-Gon at the same time. He painted his face to avoid deception, or perhaps that was his natural face, I do not know and have never seen it's like. I believe, as do Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, that it was Sith."

"Sith." repeated Mace, "They could not have returned without our knowledge."

"Ah, hard to see, the dark side is." said Yoda wisely.

"Never make any assumptions." added Harry. "Until you can base your beliefs on facts, it can be proven wrong. You do not believe they could have returned without your knowledge, like your code so arrogantly states, "There is no ignorance, there is only knowledge." Believe that, believe you know everything and you have confined yourself to one way of thinking. I think the Sith have returned, or at least dark force users, you do not, but the facts fit my theory." Harry's smirk showed his enjoyment at lecturing the so called Masters, however a look from Yoda told him to control himself. "By the way, if you don't accept their stowaway as a Padawan, I'll train him myself." threatened Harry. Harry once more bowed to Yoda with the farewell, "May the Force be with you."

"And with you." As Harry exited the room, he made a small gesture with his hand, landing a listening charm in the corner of the room, before exiting to see Anakin. "Hello, Ani."

"Hello, Harry." replied the boy, who wasn't displaying his usual exuberance.

"Something wrong?" asked Harry.

"What if they won't train me? What do I do then? What will happen to..." the boy simply exploded with questions, before Harry interrupted.

"They didn't train me, but Yoda took me away to train me against their wishes." He consoled the boy. "Anyway, I threatened to train you myself if you weren't accepted, so they'll definitely take you now, even if only to prevent me from corrupting you." smiled Harry, before he leaned up against the wall and activated the listening charm.

Mace Windu's voice entered his ear, "What do you think of him?"

Qui-Gon answered, "He was a great help over our journey and is very skilled. I am pleased to call him my friend."

"I don't trust him." said one of the Masters.

"I agree, only a Jedi can handle the power the force brings." said one of the others. Before the conversation could continue, a Jedi came to him and told him to leave, although he phrased it as "Stop loitering." Harry disabled the listening charm before leaving, chuckling at the blatant hypocrisy of the Jedi.

**Just to inform everyone, although it doesn't seem it very much, I'm slowly deviating away from the canon story, most likely the major events of the first two movies will still happen, just in a different manner and other events might not happen or be completely different from the story. Anyway, please review and read my other stories, one is a Lord of the Rings crossover with Harry Potter and the other two are just plain Harry Potter stories, but The New Beginning is my best story so far. It's worth a read, thank you for reading and if anyone would like to recommend a good story, please feel free to.**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry about the delay between this chapter and the last, I came down with the flu quite badly as well as having mountains of work to do, coupled with rehearsal's for the play, research for the debate team, helping out at the youth club in my town and having to revise for a test, in other words reality attacked me and proved the adage, "When it rains, it pours." correct.

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 8

In a dingy bar in one of the more disreputable areas of Coruscant, there was a hotly contested game of poker being played. The pot had just risen to 6,000 Republican credits, the highest of the night and the pressure was all on an unknown player who had come in and performed well so far. All but the unknown and a regular, known only as Valerio, had folded, and Valerio had just raised the bet by another 100 credits. The stout Twi'lek looked across the table at the enigmatic human who had played so well, and who had only seemed to improve under the influence of alcohol, and inwardly sighed. He had a 7 high house, the best hand of the night so far, but despite this, the eerie glowing emeralds, the only visible feature of the man under his hood, creeped him out.

Emerald, as Valerio had nicknamed the man, soundlessly pushed forward another chip to match the bet, and then another chip to raise the bet. Valerio sighed inwardly again, The stoic man refused to speak more than necessary and the fact Emerald's face was covered meant nothing could be determined about the man's hand from facial expression. Valerio matched Emerald's bet just as a newcomer approached. The tall black man wore a soldiers uniform, and he moved with a rolling gait, always balanced as his eyes scanned the room. Emerald made no visible reaction, but Valerio was sure he noticed the human.

"Called." Valerio's usual terse growl rumbled from his throat. No unnecessary words were used to portray the meaning of the sentence.

The soldier approached Emerald and said, "We leave tomorrow. My employer has realised she will gain no help here and has sent me to inform you. For some reason, she would like you to come with us."

"Wonderfully vague," thought Valerio, "But just enough information to let us know Emerald here is some kind of mercenary.

Harry sat, watching his opponent for the slightest movement that would betray how this game would turn out. He had noticed Panaka approaching, but had nothing against the taller man and so did nothing. When his opponent signalled the climax of the game, nothing would deter Harry from his path, not even Panaka's statement, which basically translated as, "The Senate are pathetic, they will not aid Naboo because they are frightened of the consequences of defending the virtues they claim to uphold and Padme will not leave her planet in the hands of tyrannical dictators and so will instead attempt to liberate it and wants his help."

Putting aside this problem, he concentrated on the match and watched as his opponent revealed his hand, a seven high house. Smiling, Harry flipped over his cards to reveal a flush, before sweeping the pot into his waiting arms. "Panaka, tell you "employer" I shall meet them at the airfield tomorrow." He told the bodyguard, deliberately maintaining the professional's vagueness. The man nodded and left.

Harry smiled.

Harry leapt down from his post on a recently acquired cruiser, from which he had been watching the landing platform upon which the Naboo ship they had arrived on, was situated. The queen and her entourage had just arrived after a long day's wait for Harry. The sun had already fallen and Harry had numerous times cursed both Panaka, for not telling him when they would arrive, and himself for not asking, but nonetheless they were now here and that was the main thing.

Harry approached the queen, who Harry now realised was a fake as he saw Padme waiting at the side, and bowed slightly. "Greetings your highness. It is a pleasure to be in your company once more."

The queen nodded and responded to the pleasantries in kind. As he turned to follow the group, he saw Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon emerge from the ship and approach. He had had an...enlightening conversation with them earlier. Apparently, the Jedi council had leapt at the chance to train Anakin, except for Yoda who asked for caution, and had accepted Qui-Gon's offer to train the boy as his padawan as Obi-Wan would soon take his trials. Harry inwardly chuckled at this, realising it was because of his offer, although it could more appropriately called a threat, to train the boy if he was rejected. Obi-Wan, although at his master and only form of father figure believing in him enough to put him through the strenuous trials and thinking him worthy of being a Jedi knight, seemed a little annoyed at how quickly and eagerly Qui-Gon seemed to replace him, although he hid it well. Obi-Wan, however, was a young Jedi and although he had spent more years learning the force than Harry, was not as attuned to it as either Harry or Qui-Gon, the latter through his lengthy experience and the former because the force was similar to Harry. Because Obi-Wan wasn't as attuned to the force as the others, he could not feel, or maybe not feel the full effect, of the veritable fountain of the Force which seemed to emerge from the youth. This immense natural power was the reason that both Harry and Qui-Gon had offered to train him, if he were to succumb to the dark side, it would have massive ramifications.

"Your Majesty, it is our pleasure to continue to serve and protect you." stated Qui-Gon.

"I welcome your help. Senator Palpatine fears the Federation means to destroy me." replied the Queen.

Although the banter between the two seemed to moving in an interesting direction, Harry couldn't pay attention. Something was distracting him as he walked alongside the handmaidens. Suddenly, Harry darted forward to grab the Queen's shoulder as she slowly and stately approached the plane.

As the others looked at him curiously, he said, "Something's not right. I think you should hurry up."

Just then, a masked and robed figure leapt down from a passing vehicle, landing in a fighting stance. Harry leapt in front of the group, blaster trained on the figure even as his wand flew into his hand and a blue flash signalled the creation of a shield in front of him. "Who are you?" asked Harry, steel in his voice.

"I heard an old friend was in town and I wanted to check it out." replied a familiar voice. Harry sheathed his weapons and approached the man.

"Michael, my old friend." Stated Harry, before punching the man on the mouth. "That is for the 200 credits you owe me."

Michael stood up and removed his hood. The man stood just under 6 foot tall, with a muscular physique and numerous scars dotting his face, the only uncovered part of his body. His piercing blue eyes adorned his scarred face, and shaved head. He presented an impressive and intimidating visage, but it was completely undone by his friendly smile. "I suppose I deserved that."

Michael had been one of Harry's oldest friends. After leaving Yoda to travel alone, Harry had joined up with Michael Coates, a mercenary who lead a group of 6, who had been impressed with how Harry had handled an attempted mugging. Several successful contracts later and the two mercenaries were much more affluent, although not rich by any standards, and were good friends as well as some of the only honourable mercenaries around. Most had degenerated into nothing more than hired guns, firing at anything that moved.

Harry turned to the Queen, "He's an old friend. I can vouch for him.""If you're gonna take back Naboo, an extra gun should be welcome." continued Michael.

"How did you...?" asked the Queen before Michael interrupted.

"Many people know Naboo has been invaded, and it's queen came to the Senate for aid and you are dressed in accordance with what I know of Naboo court fashion, boarding a Naboo cruiser. I'm not a stupid man."

The Queen reluctantly acquiesced and allowed the mercenary to join their campaign.

**A filler chapter more than anything and we learn more about my version of Harry Potter. As you can see, I'm making an effort to break away from canon a little. Let me know if it works through reviews, thank you and read my other stories.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 9

Harry turned away from Michael. The group had been onboard the ship for several hours now, and Michael and Harry had finished catching up on what had happened to each other since they separated just over half a year ago. Harry began to wander the ship, and passed an open door, so naturally he looked in to see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon meditating. The room was quite empty, although a few boxes littered the corners of the room, as well as a sofa and a comfy looking chair.

Qui-Gon looked up at him having sensed his presence, and smiled. "Harry! Come to join us?"

"No, I'm not a great fan of meditating, I prefer to relax through using the force or practising with my lightsabre." replied Harry.

Obi-Wan looked up at this point as well to ask, "I was wondering, what was that thing you did to the droids back in Naboo? I've never seen anything like it!"

"It's my own invention." answered Harry proudly. "I've tried teaching Yoda it, but he couldn't do it, although may have been because I couldn't really explain. Basically, I take the force, and weave it together into sort wire-type strips. What I did then, was I sliced the droids in two by moving the wire rapidly through the body of the droids. I can do other stuff, like binding people using that technique. Although, it doesn't really work as well against people, particularly force sensitive people. I think the midichlorians in each person acts against it somehow, and so it's very effective against droids, but not dark Jedi, or Sith. It also takes some time to set up.""And there are other techniques that can be used against droids effectively as well, although not as many as you did at that time. You should be proud of yourself, very few can create a new force technique, even if you can't pass it on." replied Qui-Gon, who did seem quite impressed.

"You mentioned that you enjoy duelling?" asked Obi-Wan, "Would you consider a friendly duel?""Of course. Although perhaps we could get Anakin to watch, it might be beneficial for him to watch a lightsabre duel in which people aren't trying to kill each other." replied Harry.

"I'll go get him." said Qui-Gon, before promptly leaving the room.

"Is use of the force acceptable in this duel?" asked Harry.

"No reason not to use it, might have to warn Qui-Gon and Anakin though so they don't get hit by anything." replied Obi-Wan, watching Harry take out his lightsabre. It was only then that he realised the lightsabre was slightly small for him, and not designed for him. "You're not attuned to your lightsabre!"

"No. It should be an extension of yourself, and this is a cheap parody of that. Still, I'm grateful to Yoda, any lightsabre is better than no lightsabre." replied Harry.

"And no Jedi can make a new one for you because of Jedi laws, nor can anyone teach you how to make one yourself."

"Yoda sidestepped the Law quite well, it wasn't made for me and so I can use it, and although the Jedi council could have argued against it, they realised nothing good would come from it, most of the Jedi had missed him and didn't want to upset him."

There was a silence as both duellists prepared themselves, putting their lightsabre onto the training mode, where it would only produce light burns at best, not slice off limbs, before stretching. The silence was interrupted when Anakin leapt into the room, delighted to be able to watch a real lightsabre fight, and see everything he might someday be able to do.

"Alright, just to be clear, duel ends when one fighter surrenders or is unable to continue, no life threatening or serious injuries allowed, so be careful, and force attacks are allowed." stated Qui-Gon, having been told by Obi-Wan what they had agreed to. "The fight begins when the box reaches the ground." Having finished his statement, Qui-Gon levitated an empty box high into the air, and dropped it.

The second it hit the ground, Obi-Wan leapt at Harry, although changed direction at the last second by springing into the air over Harry's head, swinging at his head as he did so. Harry ducked, and swivelled to face where Obi-Wan would land, already attacking with a roundhouse kick that connected with Obi-Wan's legs as he fell, causing him to land in a heap, instead of on his feet. To Obi-Wan's credit, he didn't stay still, already rolling out of the way, before leaping to his feet as he used the force to fling the chair at Harry.

Harry jumped on to the chair and used it as a spring pad to get at Obi-Wan, who reacted admirably, sidestepping the attack, and bringing his lightsabre up to block Harry's wild swing. Harry rolled forward as he landed from his front flip, twisting as he did so to face Obi-Wan, who smiled and stepped back. Harry stood and leapt forward with a quick thrust, to be blocked by Obi-Wan. Harry swung towards Obi-Wan's feet, but changed the course of the flight of his lightsabre midway, aiming instead for Obi-Wan's neck, but his opponent ducked and swung his blade at Harry's feet, although he missed whenever Harry leapt out of the way, but was caught unawares when Harry summoned the chair towards Obi-Wan, while also attacking with his lightsabre.

Obi-Wan swept aside the offending lightsabre and thrust towards Harry, who sidestepped just as the chair clattered into Obi-Wan, and sent him rolling to the ground. Harry picked up the sofa using the force, as well as the boxes around the room and waited for Obi-Wan to jump out. When Obi-Wan decided not to appear, Harry pulled the chair out of the way, and flung the sofa and boxes towards where he thought Obi-Wan would be, but the padawan proved to be wilier than that when he sent the sofa back at Harry, while cutting the boxes to pieces. As Obi-Wan did so, Harry simply banished the sofa into the corner of the room before he simply force pulled Obi-Wan's lightsabre towards himself, the unusual technique catching the young padawan by surprise. Harry jumped forward, swinging both lightsabre at Obi-Wan, stopping millimetres away from either side of the padawan's neck, who was holding his hands up non-threateningly. "I surrender." cried Obi-Wan.

"You did well," said Harry, "But remain aware at all times, and be one with the force. You must feel the force as you fight, and be able to feel how your opponent manipulates it."

Harry nodded in respect to his opponent, before simply handing the lightsabre over, and walked out of the room, with a nod towards Qui-Gon and Anakin. He did not hear the conversation that followed.

"He summoned my lightsabre." spluttered Obi-Wan incomprehensively. "You always said a lightsabre was too fast and small in a fight for someone to be able to summon it."

"I do say that, and what surprised me is he summoned it as you were shredding those boxes. To be able to summon something moving so fast requires great reflexes, and incredible control." replied Qui-Gon.

"I don't get it." said Anakin. "Why is Harry summoning Obi-Wan's lightsabre so shocking."

"Because of the control required. Imagine the force as a blanket, a large one. To interact with objects around you using the force, you need to wrap the blanket completely around that object, without crinkling the blanket or having any of the blanket left over. It must be taut, and so that wouldn't be hard if the object was quite large, as you simply wrap the blanket around the object once and the blanket is completely around that object. If the object is small, you need to wrap the blanket around the object many times, and so as you wrap it around the second or third time, you are wrapping the blanket around the blanket, and you can't see if the inner layers are wrinkled, and when the blanket is finished, it is hard to control that object as you could be holding onto a blanket wrapped around it several times, and it would be quite clumsy when you move it. Harry was able to do that, move it fluidly, and keep control of the lightsabre as it moved towards him, add that to the fact that the lightsabre was moving quickly when he grabbed it and it's quite astonishing." replied Qui-Gon, entering what Obi-Wan liked to call "teaching mode."

"So to use the force, you wrap a force blanket around the object?" asked a confused Anakin.

"It's an analogy, so no. That was simply to show you how hard it was." answered Qui-Gon "When you use the force..."

As Qui-Gon explained to Anakin how to use the force, Harry was once again wandering the ship, passing a slumbering Michael as he did so. Michael had fallen asleep in a corner of the cockpit, doubtless having thought it was the most peaceful place to sleep. He entered the cockpit to speak with the pilots for a moment about when they would arrive. Upon hearing the response of several hours, he turned to leave when Anakin came rushing in. "Hello, Ani." he said.

"Qui-Gon said I could come back here to talk to the pilots again. You were really good in your duel." answered the small boy quickly, the words rushing out of his mouth in his urge to speak quickly.

"Thank you, someday you'll be just as good, if not better. Don't badger the pilots too much." replied Harry, before leaving.

He passed a room from which he could hear voices, and so approached the door that had been left ajar, and entered silently. Inside was what appeared to be a lobby, or an area that the Queen had commandeered to listen to suggestions on what to do once she arrived on Naboo. As Harry looked around, he spotted Padmé was one of the Handmaidens scattered around the room, in other words, the Queen's double had commandeered this area to listen to suggestions on what to do, when the actual queen had already decided her course of action. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had already entered the room, doubtless to give their advice as well.

As he looked around, Panaka was speaking. "As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty.""I agree." continued Qui-Gon. "I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this."

"I will take back what's ours." stated the Queen's double. It wasn't a threat, but a mere promise, something the double believed would actually happen. Harry frowned inwardly, he couldn't see a way in which this small group could take back a planet.

Panaka stated his concerns, actually voicing Harry's in the process. "There are too few of us, Your Highness. We have no army."

And I can only protect you. I can't fight a war for you." continued Qui-Gon.

"Jar-Jar Binks." intoned the double in her emotionless voice.

"Mesa, Your Highness?" asked the shocked Gungan. He wasn't the only one confused, the others had no idea what the clumsy Gungan had to do with a war, although slowly something was coming together in Harry's mind.

"Yes. I need your help." replied the Queen, causing Harry to suddenly laugh. As all eyes focused on him, he waved a hand at them.

"There are two ways to take back a planet, at least two are obvious to me. One-start a rebellion and cause dissent, and eventually the people will dispose of their ruler themselves. A lengthy process, and not a foolproof one. Or two-take the planet back using an army, but we don't have one. Although, the Gungan's do, unless I'm completely wrong." said Harry, chuckling as he did so. This wasn't a stupid venture that could only end in martyrdom after all.

Several hours later and the ship had landed in the dense forests. From what Harry understood, a battleship of the trade federation had spotted them and had just failed to stop them, now they were unloading the ship and powering it down to avoid detection. Jar-Jar had just left to find his people, and Harry had finished filling Michael in on the plan. "If we get the Gungan's on our side," mentioned Michael, "We might just have a chance."

"Although the Gungan's do tend to hate the Nabooians." replied Harry.

"Some negotiating and they'll join us, if the Queen grants enough concessions." answered Michael. "So, now what?"

"Now, we wait outside the lake nearby, waiting for Jar-Jar to come back." interjected Padmé. "So, are you's coming?"

"Of course." replied Harry.

"What else could we do in this forest?" asked Michael, somewhat sarcastically. Padmé smiled in return.

As the group gathered beside the lake, a silence fell upon them, a silence that was only broken when Jar-Jar resurfaced and approached them.

"Desa nobody dare." said Jar-Jar. "The Gungan city is deserted.""Was there signs of a struggle?" asked Harry.

"Some." replied the Gungan. "But dere no being any bodies."

"Well, where would they would have retreated to?" Harry queried.

"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place." replied Jar-Jar.

"Or they've been taken to the camps, or wiped out." muttered Michael.

"Mesa show you sacred place, come on, mesa show you." said the exuberant Gungan, ignoring Michael's comment. The Gungan proceeded to lead them on what Harry thought was a made up trail, until eventually a patrol of Gungan's appeared in front of them, and began to lead them after Qui-Gon spoke to them for a moment.

"Your Honour." said one of the guards." Queen Amidala of the Naboo."

"Uh, heyo dadee, Big Boss Nass, Your Honour." stuttered Jar-Jar, obviously slightly afraid of what the Gungan leader would do.

Upon looking at the fat Gungan who apparently lead his people, Michael wryly asked Harry, "I wonder if a Big Boss is always in power, or if that's a specific title for him."

"Show some respect." replied Harry. "Or failing that, pretend to. He could be a BIG help."

Michael chuckled at the pun.

"Jar-Jar Binks." intoned Nass. "Who's da ussen uthers?""A slow one, isn't he?" said Michael. "I mean we were introduced, or at least the Queen was."

"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace." said the double emotionlessly.

"Ah, Naboo biggen." replied Nass. "Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad."

"What's a biggen or a Mackineek or bombad?" Harry asked Michael, who merely shrugged.

"Who knows with these people." was the wry reply.

Despite the cold response, the double continued to speak, "We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance." The double was interrupted when Padme strode forward from her place behind the pretend Queen, saying.

"Your Honour.""Whosa dis?" queried Nass.

"I am Queen Amidala." she announced, prompting Jar-Jar to emit a very eloquent, "Huh?" Some of the other members of the entourage openly showed shock, although a few hid their shock well and some of the Queen's advisors and Panaka appeared to already know the secret.

"This is my decoy." Padmé continued. "My protection, my loyal bodyguard. I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honour, our two great societies have always lived in peace. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us, no I beg you to help us." On her last statement, she knelt down to show her subservience. "We are your humble servants. Our fate is in your hands." As she finished, the rest of the group took her lead and also knelt, although Harry had to drag Michael down.

"Brilliant." whispered Harry, awe obvious in his voice. "A bit of flattery, showed the common enemy followed by begging. Couldn't have done better myself."

"No, you couldn't have." answered Michael in a hushed tone. "I could have, though." Harry snorted in response, before looking back at the proceedings.

Big Boss Nass suddenly began to laugh, "Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans? Me-e-esa lika dis! Maybe wesa bein friends."

"What I tell you?" said Harry.

**I realise I haven't updated this story in a while, and so decided to give you a longer than normal chapter. The next chapter might take a while, I sit some of my A-Levels this month and haven't picked up a book all Christmas, plus in my other stories, I have a big battle scene coming up in my other crossover, plus I haven't updated my other stories in ages, and I want my new story to get some more viewers so hopefully quick updates on that story will help. Please read my other stories and give me a review. Only by saying what you liked or disliked in this story, can you maximise reading pleasure in the rest of the story, thank you.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 10

"Harry, Michael. There is a war meeting in a minute, as soon as the scouts arrive. Would you join us?" The question came from Qui-Gon, apparently recognising that war was not the strong suit of a Jedi, and so was asking for advise from mercenaries.

"Of course." replied Harry as he walked over to where Padme and the others had gathered. As he arrived, Anakin came running over crying," They're here." Moments later, the scouts arrived in the form of Panaka. After the greetings, Padme asked the question everyone wanted answered.

"What is the situation?"

"Almost everyone's in camps." replied Panaka, obviously dismayed. "A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win."

"Ah." interjected Harry. "But we aren't looking to win. Their army is mostly droids, correct?" asked Harry, to which Panaka nodded. "Well then, we simply need to delay their army, while a small group of pilots to destroy the droid control ship orbiting the planet. Besides, the aim of this is not to annihilate their army, but to defeat their leader."

"Harry is right." continued Padme. "The battle is a diversion. The Gungans will draw their army away from the cities."

"Ah, but here we reach a small snag?" cut in Michael. "How do we do that? Droids might be stupid, but they only obey orders, and we'll have to trick their human commanders, and that won't be easy."

A silence fell upon the group momentarily, broken by Harry's laughter. "How can we draw their army away? Well, ask yourself, what, or perhaps more accurately, who do they want, and need?"

"Padme." replied Qui-Gon confusedly.

"So who's presence will draw them out?" continued Michael, catching on to the plan.

"Mine?" questioned Padme. "But I have to go into the city, to capture the Viceroy and take control of the city."

"Ah, we know that, but they won't. A simple illusion is all it will take." replied Harry.

"An illusion?" queried Qui-Gon. Harry smiled in response and waved his wand, causing a replica Padme to appear.

"Now, what would the Federation army do if they saw Padme moving towards the city with a small entourage?" asked Michael.

"Well, that sorts out how we get the army out, but how will the real Padme, and the rest of us, enter the city undetected?" asked Panaka.

"R2." commanded Padme, causing the small droid to show the blueprints to the city. "We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the viceroy. Without the viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you think, Master Jedi?"

"The Viceroy will be well-guarded." replied Qui-Gon.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room." countered Panaka. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

"Long corridors, wide halls, not much cover. This place will be terrible to assault, no chance of a sneak attack. They'd see us coming easily once we get inside the palace, and they can pick us off from a distance." mentioned Harry. "Fortunately, the throne room will be much easier to take, once we get there, of course."

"There is a possibility that using the Gungans as a diversion will lead to many casualties." added Qui-Gon.

"Wesa ready to do our-san part." replied Nass.

"Besides, I'll look over their battle strategy later and help them." continued Michael. "But, my question is will the fighter planes we have be able to penetrate the shields of the droid control ship and disable the droids?"

"And, what if the Viceroy escapes, and returns with another droid army?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Simple solution to that." replied Harry. "Don't let the Viceroy escape."

"There is significant risk in attacking their droid control ship, but I have faith we can penetrate their shields." added Panaka. "But, Harry, if you are coming with us into the city, how will you create your illusion?"

"Well, most likely they know we're here, and my illusion will simply lead them out of the city towards the Gungans, but I'll transfigure something into Padme's likeness for you. It won't be able to talk or anything, but it should serve our purposes."

Harry leant up against the wall, trying not to be noticed as he watched Padme flash a light towards Panaka and his group, signalling they were in place. Beside him, he noticed Qui-Gon kneeling beside Anakin. "Once we get inside, you find a safe place to hide and stay there."

"Sure." replied the boy.

"Stay there." reinforced Qui-Gon. Any further conversation was ended by an explosion, and Harry looked around and noticed the distraction. Although, to be fair, a tank was fairly hard to miss, especially after it just blew up a fountain. That was the first blow in the skirmish between Panaka's troops and the remaining droids left in the city, the rest having fallen for the bait and headed after the fake Padme. Padme ran around the corner, moving towards the palace, quickly followed by several guards, the Jedi, Harry and Michael, who were absentmindedly picking off droids as they went. "Confringo." whispered Harry, causing one of the droid's heads to fly off it's shoulders and knock another droid down.

"Nice." complimented Michael, as he and Harry ran after Padme and the others who had just opened a gate. "Idiots, haven't even changed the access codes." laughed Michael. As they ran threw the gate, they were assaulted by a group of droids. Harry scanned his surroundings, realising that he was in the hangar, and that Padme and her entourage had taken cover behind some crates, popping up to fire a few shots every few seconds while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan wrecked havoc among the machines. Harry laughed, and leapt forward, wielding the force and magic swiftly, firing off blasting curses and exploding curses rapidly, the spells intermixed with shots from his blaster, all the while he was using the force to send nearby objects at the droids. Very quickly, there were no remaining droids left, but a mass exodus of fighter planes was occurring as they flew up, hoping to disable the control ship quickly.

Harry walked over to Padme, and surprisingly Panaka, who had somehow made his way back to the group. "My guess is the Viceroy's in the throne room." contributed the guard.

"Wonderfully astute as always, eh?" replied Michael, who had been following Harry. "How'd you guess that?"

"He gets annoying during fights, it's like he suffer from a bizarre form of PMS." added Harry, apologetically as the group set off for the throne room.

"Hey, what about me?" shouted Anakin from where he was hiding in a plane.

"Stay where you are. You'll be safe there." replied Qui-Gon.

Ahead of them, the door opened as they approached, revealing a cloaked figure who stood menacingly beyond. The figure raised his head to reveal a red and black face, with the most eerie yellow eyes. "He's mine." Harry told the rest of the group.

"Do you need a hand?" asked Qui-Gon, to which Harry shook his head before approaching the thing in front of him, which had just removed it's hood to reveal several horns.

"You've certainly creepy enough to be a dark lord." said Harry, "But have you got the skills?" before running at the Sith in front of him, drawing his lightsabre and in the same movement, firing a stunner to distract the Sith. The Sith drew his lightsabre as well, casually blocking the spell, before meeting Harry's overhead strike with it's block.

It was only now Harry realised that the Sith had a light staff, which was a sabre with two ends. Harry leant back to avoid a strike at the head, before using the force to pull a nearby crate at the Sith, who responded with a banisher. The moment's distraction was all Harry needed to flick his lightsabre past his opponents guard and cut his face. It was only a minor wound as the thing was able to pull away just in time, but the cut, and the hiss just after, reassured Harry.

"So you can be hurt just like a human." mused Harry. "Let's see if you can die the same."

Harry leapt forward, swinging his lightsabre quickly, aiming for the Sith's knee, before changing direction midway to attack the Sith's shoulder. The two-ended lightsabre was able to prevent this easily, and allowed the Sith to respond quickly with a swipe at Harry's knees. A force assisted jump sent Harry flying over the Sith, and gave him a great vantage point to attack the Sith's head, but his opponent was able to duck quickly to avoid the attack, twisting as he ducked so that he faced Harry while effortlessly adding an attack into the movement. As Harry fell through the air, he too twisted so he could face his opponent, and was quickly able to bring his lightsabre to bear and block the attack. Harry stepped back, surveying his opponent. The light staff gave the Sith quite a long reach, plus the fact the blood red blades were longer than normal, and his reach easily doubled Harry's small lightsabre, possibly more. Harry grimaced, that would make things difficult for him, but the Sith would also have a harder time controlling his long staff than Harry would. This time, his opponent started the attack, leading with a blow at Harry's right, which, when blocked, helped speed up the blow to Harry's left via slingshotting the other half of the staff. Fortunately, his battle reflexes assisted Harry here, and he was able to step back out of the path of the light staff, which quickly was brought back in another attack against Harry. Harry leapt to the side, firing a wandless Confringo at the Sith, who sidestepped and ran at Harry, swinging wildly with his weapon.

Harry was forced to move his lightsabre so fast it became a blur, and was barely able to keep up with the Sith, but was still able to lead the Sith into a pattern. As the Sith moved to strike at Harry's shoulder again, instead of blocking as he had done previously, Harry ducked, and swung his lightsabre at the Sith's leg. His opponent was able to move out of the way of the attack, but Harry was able to get a slight nick on the Sith. The battle had so far travelled across the hangar and into another room, each fighter still moving as fast and agile as the beginning of the fight, neither showing signs of strain from the fight. Harry sent a wandless banisher at the ground, sending him into the air at a slight backwards angle. As he passed through the air, he used the force to send numerous objects lying around the room at the Sith, who dodged some of them, and knocked the rest aside with the force. Behind Harry, a door opened, and he was forced to use the avenue of escape as he backed away from the Sith's furious counter attacks.

As Harry backed away, he cast a quick look behind him during a minor lull in the fight, when there was some space between the two fighters, and saw a vast cavernous hall, with several pathways across what appeared to be a bottomless pit. Even using the force, Harry realised he would not survive such a fall, but before he could process any more of his surroundings, he was once more forced to defend himself as the Sith struck at his head, a quick duck later and Harry was in a prime position to lash out at the Sith's legs, a position he took full advantage of, only for the Sith to leap over his head. Harry twisted to face the Sith, standing as he did so, already leading with a feint towards the Sith's head, before thrusting at his stomach. His opponent simply stepped back, before using a force leap to jump onto another pathway. Harry followed him, but jumped to a position a few metres away so the Sith could not immediately attack, not that he could distracted as he was with Harry's confringo curses. As Harry landed, he fired off a "Lacero." which was a variation of diffindo, although more powerful. The Sith didn't notice the attack, already concentrating on his own attack, and the spell hit him in the stomach, and he fell backwards, obviously weakened. Harry pressed his advantage eagerly, and the Sith grew tired quickly, before Harry began to land more and more blows until a final strike knocked the Sith's light staff from his hand and into the abyss below.

A single strike later ended the fight, decapitating his opponent. Harry sighed, his opponent had been skilled, and his death was such a waste. Harry levitated the Sith's body, thinking that it might be useful later. Perhaps he could dump it with Qui-Gon, and he could give it to the Jedi council to see if he was recognised. Turning, Harry headed off in search of the Jedi and the others.

Harry stood with the other "Heroes of the Battle for Naboo" as they were already being called, watching as a ship pulled in overhead. The battle had been won, and Padme was once more in control of the Naboo after the droid control ship had been destroyed, amazingly, by Anakin. This battle, like all others, was not without it's losses. Michael had been forced to pay the butchers bill, and had died while leading a squadron of droids away from Padme when she had been captured by the Viceroy. An action that had lead to their success in the overall battle.

"Now Viceroy." Padme told the shamed politician who had been captured mere hours earlier. "You're going to have to back to the Senate and explain all this."

"I think you can kiss your trade franchise goodbye." Panaka told the Viceroy and his follower as he lead them to the ship which had landed, and from which Chancellor Palpatine and some other members of the Senate had just disembarked.

The Chancellor approached Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "We are indebted to you for your bravery, Master Jedi." Harry shook his head, obviously the Chancellor assumed the Sith must have been defeated by Jedi, a reasonably assumption. "As well as yours, young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest." smiled the Chancellor as he patted the young padawan on the shoulder as he walked past him to Padme. As the Chancellor approached, something in Harry made Harry take an instant dislike to him, something Harry attributed to his hatred for politicians.

"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor." greeted Padme, dressed in her full ceremonial outfit, including the odd makeup.

"Your boldness has saved our people, Your Highness." came the response. "It's you who should be congratulated. Together, we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic."

Harry stood near Padme, mostly ignored as he waited for the Gungans to approach the Queen at the end of their parade, which was a most magnificent sight, with ranks upon ranks of the Gungans lined out, some musicians and others simply soldiers. They were very well received by the people of Naboo who cheered loudly for the army that had liberated them. As the parade got ever closer, he noticed Big Boss Nass and Jar-Jar at the front of the parade, obviously in positions of honour.

They got off their mounts, and approached the Queen of Naboo and her advisors, the Queen handing a rather peculiar orb to the Gungan, with many glowing lights circling the orb, which Nass raised above his head with a cry of "PEACE!"

Obviously there would be a large celebration to follow, one Harry hoped to miss having never been a big fan of parties.

Harry approached the hangar, preparing himself to leave this planet and it's Monarch whom he had grown surprisingly fond of, when a voice drifted over to him. "Leaving, without even a goodbye?"

"I didn't want to interrupt the festivities, Your Highness." replied Harry as he looked back at the person he had just been thinking of. Padme looked resplendent in her pink dress which she had worn to the parade earlier that day.

"Seems sad, you who contributed so much, to the extent you even defeated the Sith Lord in single combat, should leave without a celebration."

"Why must a good deed be celebrated? If it is done simply to gain the respect of others, it loses it's morality. At least, I believe that." answered Harry.

"It seems wrong that you won't be compensated for your time here." replied Padme.

"I'll be honest, I was going to take one of your ships, so that's compensation enough."

"If I remember right, your ship was destroyed when you came here to help rescue me. That's not really compensation, that's simply what was yours being returned to you. Qui-Gon gets a new padawan, Obi-Wan becomes a knight, Anakin gets a better life. As for me, my planet is in the hands of those who would look out for it's best interests. What of you, though?"

"I will take Michael's body back to his family, they will know he died a hero. What then, who knows."

"You are always welcome to return here for a visit."

"I may take you up on that offer sometime." With that final sentence, Harry walked forward and jumped aboard the ship upon which Michael's body had been placed. It was time to mourn yet another close friend.

**As I reread this chapter, I think my level of writing has fallen drastically from previous chapters. On the plus side, the first movie is finally over. Yeah. Please review, and if anyone would like to recommend a good band similar to the Bravery (An honest mistake, Time won't let me go, Above and Below), I would be eternally grateful.**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 11

Harry stood in an alley, trying to remain nondescript as he headed towards his target, said target being a ruler who was currently residing in a Palace. When Harry had decided to attempt to reach his target, he hadn't considered how he would actually bypass all the guards, and infiltrate the Palace, which was also heavily guarded.

As a patrol of guards passed by, he thought back to the events of four years ago, when he had returned Michael's body to his wife and kids.

**FLASHBACK**

_As Harry approached the small, slightly decrepit house in which Michael's family lived, he sighed. This was not something he was looking forward to, if he could, he would be planets away rather than here on Coruscant, levitating the body of one of his friends behind him, getting ready to tell his wife and kids their husband or father would never kiss them goodnight again. As he walked up to the door, it opened in front of him to reveal Shannon, Michael's wife. She stood slightly smaller than average for a woman, with long black hair and expressive eyes. Although she wasn't beautiful by any standards, actually plain would be the best way to describe her, her smile had the ability to light up a room. The look on her face was far from a smile, or anything joyous, rather the look of absolute agony and pain on her face was enough to make even a battle-hardened warrior like Harry wince in sympathy._

_Harry reached forward and enveloped her in a hug, feeling the tears already rolling down her face. Gently, he guided the grief-ridden woman into the living room of the house, where Michael's son, Ben, and his daughter, Alicia, were sitting, laughing and talking. As they looked at their mother being guided in by one of their dad's friends, and their dad's body being lifted into the room by magic, their faces fell and quickly began to mirror their mothers._

_"How?" the grief stricken question came from Shannon._

_"When we went to Naboo to restore Padme Amidala to the throne, we had a plan to distract the Trade Federation while a small group infiltrated the Palace to capture the leaders. While I was battling a Sith warrior, Padme and some of the others were captured, so Michael made a plan to free them, distracting the guards who held them and leading them on a merry chase around half the Palace before he died. He died a hero, and earned great honour in the eyes of the Nabooians." replied Harry, a tear rolling down his face as he slowly succumbed to the grief he had bottled up over the death of one of his few friends._

_"Doesn't matter how he died, or how people regarded him, he's still dead." cried Alicia._

_"I know." replied Harry as he held the family of his fallen friend who had died helping him. "I know."_

**END FLASHBACK**

Although incredibly saddened by the loss, Harry knew they wouldn't suffer financially, Padme had made sure of that when she compensated them for Michael's death. The fading sound of the guard's footsteps drew him from his musings. Scanning his surroundings, Harry saw that he was alone, but not trusting this to last, he quickly fired a banisher into the ground, propelling him into the air. Harry reached forward and grabbed the edge of the roof of the building in front of him, grimacing at the burning in his arms at having to suddenly support his weight. Pushing the pain aside, he pulled himself up onto the roof, and immediately fell prostrate so as not to be noticed. Harry drew his wand and cast a quick disillusionment charm on himself, hoping he would be able to reach his destination before he ran out, remembering it's drawback of not being able to be applied for an hour after the first had ran out. It meant there would be an hour when he would be easily visible, but even with the charm, he could still be noticed. He could still make noise, the silencing charm being completely incompatible with the disillusionment charm, as well as when he moved, he made a blur which could be noticed by anyone observant.

Harry sighed, he was wasting time. Quickly, he got to his feet and sprinted forward, hoping not to be seen. He used the force liberally, propelling himself across the gaps between the buildings. Very quickly, he reached the wall surrounding the Palace. With only four entrances, and all heavily guarded, it would have been impossible for any single normal person, or even a group, to penetrate it's defences without a long drawn out battle. Fortunately, Harry was anything but normal, a fact shown by his force assisted leap from a building over the wall. A leap which meant he had to jump over 20 metres in the air, and about 30 forward before he even reached the wall. As Harry just made it over the wall, he breathed a sigh of relief, before looking down. The ground was fast approaching, and he was moving too fast to survive such a fall unscathed. Harry drew his wand as fast as he could, before whispering, "Arresto momentum." unwilling to risk a nonverbal spell which meant not have enough power to slow him quickly enough, but also wanted to remain unnoticed. As Harry looked at the ground, he noticed he was slowing, but couldn't help but think it wasn't a quick enough deceleration.

He landed with a loud thud, hurting his leg badly, but this wasn't the time to rest on his laurels. The noise would have attracted a guard, and so Harry was forced to run toward against the wall, and apply sticking charms to his feet as he ran, allowing him to began to walk up the wall by undoing one sticking charm and moving that foot up the wall, before applying the sticking charm again, before repeating with the other foot. Before Harry had taken a dozen steps up the wall, he noticed a guard walking around the corner. Harry gulped, he was a sitting duck if he was noticed, hopefully the disillusionment charm and the height he was standing at would allow him to remain unnoticed. Some few moments later, he breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed at having remained hidden from the searching guard who had eventually come to the conclusion that there was nothing there. Harry turned his mind back to walking up the wall, hoping to reach the top before his charm ran out.

As Harry was perhaps ten metres away from the top of the Palace, he noticed that his disillusionment charm was wearing off, and becoming patchy, allowing certain parts of his body to flicker in and out of sight. Harry gulped nervously, the whole point of this exercise was to reach his target unseen, but he mastered himself and began to move as fast as he could. Seconds later, he reached the top and pulled himself on to the top of the Palace just as his charm wore off, wondering at the enhanced abilities people had when adrenaline was running through their bodies. A quick tempus later showed him that, although he was slightly behind schedule, it was nothing major. Standing up on the roof of the Palace, he crept forward, unsure whether there were any guards stationed here. As he walked, he noticed a set of windows on the roof that provided a vantage point into the rooms below. Harry smiled, he had banked on these windows to allow him access. As he passed another set of windows, he looked down and spotted his target sitting on a throne, holding a council with some advisors. Harry smiled, by his reckonings, this meeting would be ending soon, and the advisors would leave, meaning his target would be unprotected. Sure enough, the advisors soon left, and Harry smirked again, before adjusting the setting of his blaster, ready to take out the few guards waiting in the throne room. He drew his wand, and vanished the window separating him from his target, and leapt through, casting another arresto momentum halfway down to slow him. As he fell, he twisted and fired off a number of stunners, as well as using his blaster to great effect. He landed lightly, his cloak sprawled out behind him as he went down to one knee. He looked up at his target and smiled.

"Your defence leaves a lot to be desired."

When the reply came, it came in the form of a voice he hadn't heard in a number of years. "When I said you were welcome to come visit, I meant you could simply walk through the gate, not come through a window and attack all my guards."

"Ah, but where would the fun be in that?" he replied, causing Padme to laugh.

"I assume my guards are still alive?" she asked.

"Of course, but can I just say, your defences should be tightened. Four years ago, you made yourself an enemy of the Sith, and as I just showed, any force user could quite easily penetrate your defences." A bit of an exaggeration, thought Harry, but there was nothing wrong with making her a bit more paranoid and willing to increase defences.

"Well then, I shall have to rectify that. I may be in the market for a bodyguard. Would you know where I could get one on short notice?" she asked with a smile, causing Harry to smile in response.

Four years had passed since Harry had become Padme's bodyguard, and this was to be her final mission as Queen. She was finishing her second term as Queen, the maximum allowed by the Nabooians constitution. In fact, her term would end within weeks, but instead of a nice quiet end of term in the Palace, holding court and ensuring that the change in regime did not cause instability, Padme had decided to go to Erep, one of the other planets in the Naboo system. Erep was a planet similar to Earth in it's makeup, but the people were notorious for their underhanded methods, and they were legendary throughout the Republic for their conmen, which wasn't exactly the best thing to want in a planet. Despite this, Padme had decided to visit the planet, and meet with their leader, a human named Glotka.

Erep was a cut throat planet, where might made right, and attempted assassinations were common. Something Harry and Padme had found out just three days earlier, when they had been ambushed in the capital city of Storm by a group of mercenaries. Harry assumed this was some plot by Glotka to defeat Naboo's leader, then take control of Naboo under the preteens of ensuring stability. Harry had heard rumours of Erep being visited by members of the Trade Federation, who might still be seeking to take control of Naboo. Unfortunately for Padme's guard, he had paid little heed to these rumours, and that was why he was travelling through a swamp, trying to keep Padme alive, fend off what seemed to be an army of mercenaries, and somehow reach their spare ship alive.

Harry was nothing if not paranoid, and had sent a second ship into Erep, near Storm, just in case of some mishap, and he was so glad he had. Unfortunately, he couldn't call for aid due to an EMP which had been fired just a day previously at the same time as the ambush, knocking out all forms of communication.

"I'm starting to wish we'd just stayed at home." Padme's comment made Harry stop and turn to her. She was wearing her ceremonial robe, although it was significantly dirtier due to the hours of wading through waist-high mud.

"If only someone had suggested that." replied Harry sarcastically, "Oh, wait. I did."

"Calm down," Padme said soothingly. "Everything will be fine." Just as she finished talking, a flash of light caught Harry's attention, and he leapt at Padme, pushing her out of the way of the attack. Unfortunately, he accidentally pushed her underneath the sludge, and when Harry pulled her back up above the mud, she was completely covered in mud, but Harry could still make out the scowl on her face.

A quick wave of Harry's lightsabre reflected a shot back at it's user, "Sorry about that." He said abashedly as he fired off a few confringo's as tried to find their attackers. "If being covered in slime and muck is all you have to be angry about, you're pretty fortunate." He punctuated his sentence with a few more swipes of his lightsabre, as well as launching a few magical attacks of his own to respond to the ambushers. A shot came from the right of him, and he weaved out of the way, and animating a branch near where he assumed the offender to be, and it soon found the attacker, and dragged him underneath the mud and suffocated him.

"Close your eyes." he told Padme softly, a plan forming in his head. "Lumos maximus." he shouted, causing a blindingly bright light to appear at the tip of his wand, it was so bright that Harry had to look away, even though his eyes were shut. "Come on, Padme, run." He said, dragging her along as he ran, his attackers disorientation enough to allow them to escape unhindered for a minute. The attackers quickly recovered, and began to follow them, hoping to stop them escaping.

"Die, damnit, die." shouted Padme vehemenantly as she fired her blaster behind her, hoping to hit one of the group following them, intent on their death. Up ahead, Harry could see the end of the marsh, but just beyond the field at the end of the marsh, was a cliff, and most likely beyond that, there was a lake of some sort.

"Padme." Harry whispered, hoping their pursuers wouldn't hear. "We're going to have to jump soon... off a cliff... into a lake.""We're going to what?" cried Padme incredulously.

"You heard me." replied Harry. "Just beyond the lake should be a field, and our ship is there."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Padme. "You'll be coming too." Harry shook his head in response.

"I'll catch up." he said, as he realised that while they had been talking, they had left the swamp and were moving much faster than before. As they approached the cliff, Harry grabbed Padme by the arm and threw her off the edge, before stopping himself, and turning to face their pursuers. He'd realised he was much faster than Padme would be, and so he could easily catch up, but their pursuers could easily kill them if they were able to attack while Harry and Padme where in a lake. Harry began to weave his wand, gathering speed the longer he cast, all the while he was using the blaster in his left hand to great effect. Due to the vast numbers of attackers running at him, Harry was unable to defeat them all, and all he was really doing was delaying them. Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Padme was at the edge of the lake, and so he turned and ran at the edge of the cliff, sheathing his wand and blaster as he went, before using the force to send him flying off the cliff at an incredible speed.

Pointing his body towards the lake as he fell, he organised his hands in such a way that they would be the spearhead of Harry's body, allowing him to enter the water at the speed he was travelling without being killed. Barely a dozen seconds later, and he was pulling himself out of the lake when a shot from a blaster hit him in the shoulder, causing him to falter slightly. A wandless banisher later, and Harry was flying out of the water and racing towards the ship that was waiting for them, Padme barely 10 metres ahead of him. Harry pulled Padme out of the way of another shot just as they reached the ship, which had already fired up it's engines and unlimbered it's boarding walkway for them. As Harry sprinted up the walkway onto the ship, he remarked to Padme, "As least your clean now." The only response was a glare.

**Please review. And count yourself privileged that I could be bothered updating this as quickly as I did, even if it wasn't as long as the previous one. Next chapter, or possibly the one after, I'll start the next movie.**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 12

Harry exited the Palace that had been his home for the past four years, unsure when he would re-enter it. Today had been a grand celebration, even though the same event occurred around every eight years. Today had been the day that Padme had handed the reigns of power over to the new Queen, Jamilla, meaning Harry had no more reason to stay in the Palace. Still, he would miss it. You can't spend that long in a single place and not get attached to the people who stayed there as well, but he knew that Padme would be feeling the loss even more, hence the reason he was waiting outside the main gate, hoping to catch Padme on her way to her currently unoccupied family home.

Soon, the very person Harry was waiting for passed through the gate, hooded and cloaked. "Leaving, without even a goodbye." called Harry, purposefully using the exact same words that Padme had all those years ago when Harry was leaving Naboo with Michael's body.

Padme turned and smiled, "I didn't want to interrupt the festivities." Harry smiled back, realising that had been his reply to Padme's statement when she had been waiting for him to leave.

"I don't see why it should be celebrated, Naboo has suffered a great loss today." Harry nonchalantly commented, watching for any reaction on his friends face, and noticed that, although her face remained seemingly expressionless due to long training, some pinpoint signs showed Harry she was embarrassed by his flattery, such as the slight twitch of her mouth instantly after she processed the comment, and the wrinkling around her eyes showing that although embarrassed, she was pleased.

"I am sure Queen Jamilla will be more than adequate." replied Padme.

"A big step down then." answered Harry wryly.

"She will at least have someone experienced guiding her and protecting her. I hope you will be able to spare some time from your busy schedule to visit me sometime, it will be hard to adapt to normal life." Harry laughed.

"I doubt you'll ever have an ordinary anything. Besides, I never signed on to be the Queen's bodyguard, I signed on to be your bodyguard." replied Harry seriously.

"I don't need protection." cried Padme indignantly.

"As your bodyguard, I shall be the judge of that. Now where are we going?" asked Harry, taking Padme by the arm.

Padme laughed, a beautiful tinkling laugh that made Harry decide she needed to laugh more, "You're incorrigible." Harry nodded response.

"Kinda slow on the uptake there, it's taken you all this time to learn that." Padme laughed again in response to his teasing, causing Harry to smile.

As Harry and Padme walked down the beautiful terraced streets of Naboo, illuminated by the street lamps, a comfortable silence fell upon the two. "I think I'd like to travel."

Harry looked at Padme, startled by the sudden statement. "What?"

"I want to travel." repeated Padme somewhat sheepishly. "It's a childhood dream, and now I have no duties to anyone, I finally have the time to."

"Ah. It's a good thing I'm coming, you'd crash the ship within an hour of leaving the planet." replied Harry.

"I'm not that bad, beside there's an autopilot for a reason." retorted Padme.

"So travelling is what you want from your future? You're just going to retire from the eventful life of a politician and become a nomad?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Well, Queen Jamilla wants me to become a Senator, but I asked for a year long sabbatical." replied Padme.

"Well then, the next year will have to make up for the boring events that will come after this."

"But you just said politicians had eventful lives." accused Padme.

"It may be eventful, but not enjoyable."

* * *

It had been 6 months since they'd left Naboo, and since then, they'd visited many different planets, Alderaan, Bespin, Dantooine, Felucia, Kashyyyk and Tatooine again, seeing the various tourist attractions there, meeting the local populace and learning local customs. They were currently on Corellia, and were meeting the local people, who were made up of humans, Selonians and Drall. Of course, they hadn't been able to communicate with the Selonians, which were giant, burrowing creatures, with a similar appearance to an otter, although much bigger, but they had enjoyed seeing the amazing creatures and how they interacted with one another. The Dralls, on the other hand, were much easier to communicate with, and they had actually made friends with a Drall called Ebrihim.

Harry looked up at Padme as she entered the ship having just been to the local market to get more food. As she entered, Harry was struck with a thought that had been plaguing him with increasing regularity, "She looks absolutely beautiful." Shaking his head of such thoughts, he stood and helped her put away the food in the knowledge that some of it would have to be stored immediately so it didn't grow mould, as had happened to Harry when he'd first came to this Universe from his home planet, assuming the thing that looked like bread would be fine out in the open.

"I thought we'd eat inside tonight." mentioned Padme as she stretched to place a can of food into the top shelf of a cupboard, highlighting her shapely rear which Harry already spent too much time watching. Harry didn't reply for a second, before his brain caught up with the conversation.

"Oh yeah, sure." he replied absentmindedly, not noticing Padme's smirk as she turned around and caught Harry looking.

"See something you like?" she teased, not expecting a serious response.

"Yes." answered Harry, acting as though it was a stupid question, before mentally chiding himself, "Respond with a small joke." his inner voice commanded him. "The... meat looks delicious." he said, before mentally chastising himself over such a feeble joke. Nonetheless, Padme laughed.

"We don't even have any meat at the moment."

"We don't? Well, I look like an idiot."

"Ah, but your my idiot." retorted Padme, smiling which, as always, made Harry's insides flip over.

After another hours bantering, they were sitting down on the sofa, having just finished eating dinner which actually did consist of chicken, or something similar looking, when Harry looked down at Padme, who was snuggled up against his side, and thought to himself, "If she doesn't feel the same way, the next few months will be awkward. But then again, this doesn't feel comfortable either." This mental battle waged for some time, before Padme looked up at Harry.

"Is something wrong? You seem a little off tonight." Harry looked down at her, and without thinking swooped down to kiss her incredibly soft lips. He moaned quietly at the feel of her lips against his, the contrast sending pleasure to his very core, when he realised what he was doing. As this realisation came, he began to pull back before he felt Padme's arms slide up his back and pull him towards her. As he once again kissed the lips that had plagued his dreams so much recently, he thought to himself, "This is much better than Cho," Cho having been the only person Harry had ever kissed, at least until now.

Then, he felt a tongue rubbing against his lower lip, seeking entrance, which he granted, making the already pleasurable sensation so much better. Finally, the need to breath pushed to the fore, and Harry pulled away and looked at Padme, who was smiling.

Harry, the man who had virtually fought a war against the Dark Lord Voldemort alone, the man who had defeated one of the strongest dark lord's to have ever lived, the man who had recently defeated a Sith warrior, felt very unsure of himself. His last venture into romance ended in disaster, and he had no real positive experience of what he was doing.

"Are we...you know?" asked Padme, obviously equalling unsure, as her voice betrayed. It was only then Harry realised Padme was equally inexperienced, perhaps even more so, due to her ascension to the throne being so young, and being a Queen allowed little time for romance.

"I think so." replied Harry, sounding every bit as unsure of himself as she did.

"I've never done this before." admitted Padme hesitantly.

"I tried once, didn't end well." replied Harry.

"Well that's reassuring." came the response. "I guess we're both in the dark here."

"I'm willing if you are." answered Harry, causing Padme to nod. "This will be a learning experience for us both then." continued Harry, before swooping in to catch Padme's mouth in another of those addicting kisses. His last thought before his mind completely shut down from the pleasure was, "They do taste like strawberries."

**I know this chapter is about half as long as the preceding three, but I felt here was an appropriate ending point. By the way, as I wrote this, I realised I'm very inexperienced with romance scenes, so if anyone could offer some criticism, I would be so pleased. I know that it isn't very good, but I am unsure how to improve it, so if anyone could offer some advice on doing so, I'm sure it would be better than I could do. Please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 13

"I have a bad feeling about this." Harry spoke solemnly, not hint of the usual happiness or sarcasm. "Nothing good can possibly come from this."

"We aren't going to stop this trip simply because you have a bad feeling." Queen Jamilla spoke firmly, trying to convince Harry she was right.

Harry looked around the room, trying to find any supporters, but not even Padme seemed to agree with him. "Harry, you worry needlessly. Nothing will go wrong, no one even knows when we'll be leaving."

It had been a year and a half since Harry and Padme had first kissed, and it seemed that since then they'd only gotten closer. That isn't to say that they didn't argue or disagree, but simply that they paid more attention to the other's arguments, and tried to look at the others point of view. It was rare that they came across something like what was happening now. Padme was Senator for Naboo, or rather joint Senator with Jar-Jar Binks, a decision Harry didn't understand because although the Gungan had a heart of gold, he wasn't exactly capable of defending his people's interests in a debate. However, it had been decided that Padme would be going to Coruscant to represent Naboo in the Senate, and Harry was adamant that something would go wrong and she shouldn't go, but Padme was equally certain nothing would go wrong, and that she should go.

Harry shook his head, "I know I sound foolish and paranoid, but I know I'm right. I've always been able to smell an ambush, and the one time I didn't listen to my instincts, I was punished. This can't end well. I can feel it."

"What would you have me do?" asked the Queen. "Leave our people unrepresented in the Senate? No, Padme will go to Coruscant, with or without your consent."

The other advisors were quick to voice their agreement, causing Harry to snort, "Bloody toadies." thought Harry, before continuing aloud. "I wash my hands of this. I take no responsibility for what will happen. Let that be known."

"Overly dramatic much?" asked Panaka. Despite the fact they had shared common aims for years, i.e. protect Padme at all times, their personalities didn't exactly mesh, and although they mostly managed to remain professional, sometimes the mask slipped, and they insulted one another.

Harry looked around the room again, not one person was willing to stand with him, sighing Harry stood up and walked from the room, ignoring all the pleas to come back, although he did notice Padme saying, "He's just annoyed. He'll calm down soon, and even if he thinks he's right, he'll still help us."

Harry snorted as he left, he was already calm, and he knew he was right. In the past, when he had been in Hogwarts, he'd always known when something bad would happen, and these feelings had only increased in strength as he grew older. Eventually he learnt that this was the force speaking to him, and he did his best to listen as Yoda had instructed him.

"I leave in three days times." said Padme as she entered her chambers, knowing Harry would be waiting for her. "So, will you help me with the preparations?"

Harry walked out of his room, which Jamilla had kindly given him when they had returned some few months ago, naked from the waist up. Absentmindedly, he noticed Padme's eyes glaze over momentarily with lust, making Harry smile, it was good to know he still had that effect on her. "Of course. You know I'll never leave you right? I'll always be there, even if we don't agree." Padme nodded, so Harry continued, "But I know, if you do this, something will go wrong.""Are you sure?" asked Padme, "Remember that time on Bespin, when you were sure that we were about to be attacked by that man, and it turned out he was simply running home?"

"That was a one-off occurrence." Harry retorted even as heat rose to his cheeks, and he blushed slightly. "But if you insist on going on this trip, you go in disguise, with a double and we travel in a separate ship. Actually no, we travel in fighter pilots alongside the main ship."

"You're aware you sound slightly crazy right now?" asked Padme, appearing completely serious.

"All the greatest people are crazy." replied Harry wryly.

"Name one?" challenged Padme.

"That's not important right now, so will you travel incognito?"

"Alright, fine." acquiesced Padme. "But only if when we are at my quarters on Coruscant, perfectly safe and with nothing having gone wrong, you will admit you're wrong."

Harry looked at her, before smiling, "I'll hate telling I told you so instead."

"Everything seems fine so far, and we're are making our approach to the landing bay." Padme's voice crackled across the radio to the cockpit of the plane Harry was flying in.

"That's when we're most vulnerable, it's when I would strike." replied Harry tersely as he circled the Nabooian ship, scanning the horizon for enemies. Up ahead, he could see Padme flying her ship, staying in her position at the fore of the party, and just beyond her, there was a large commercial building protruding from the clouds, the first sign that they were on Coruscant.

"Paranoid." responded Padme.

"It's not paranoia if they are out to get you." answered Harry, most of his attention on his surroundings, searching for whatever was playing havoc with his mind. That feeling of something ominous hovering over him had only gotten stronger the closer they had got to Coruscant. If this feeling had been a song, it was about to hit the crescendo.

Making sure to descend slowly, the group made their way below the cloud and the fog, landing on the bay that had been preset for them. As Harry began to exit his fighter plane, he heard Padme say, "Told you nothing would go wrong."

"We aren't out of the woods yet." replied Harry, still scanning his surroundings as he exited the plane. He took a few steps towards the ship, which was showing signs that the people within were about to disembark. As the boarding gangway began to descend to the ground, another guard approached.

"Yes we are. We're fine." came the distinctive melodic voice of Padme. Harry looked around, sure that something was out there, hidden by the fog, when suddenly, he saw something move. Reacting instantly, he twisted to the ship from which Padme's double was about to reach the ground, surrounded by four guards.

"Look out." he screamed, but he was too late.

There was an explosion right behind Padme's double, causing the real Padme to cry aloud, "Cordé. No." If she was about to say something else, she was cut off violently when the backlash of the explosion knocked her over. Harry began to twist and turn, trying to find the source of the movement, blaster and wand in hand.

"Homenum revelio." he shouted, looked for any sign of life even as Padme ran over to Cordé to see if she was alive. "Damnit, whatever was out there is gone now." he admitted as he sprinted over to Padme, ready to search for any survivors. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the other people who were on the platform running over to do the same.

"Milady." Cordé said as Padme shook her. "I'm so sorry. I've failed you, Senator."

"No." replied Padme, her voice shaking with emotion even as Cordé took her last breath, and fell limp.

Harry turned to Padme, there had been no survivors except for those who had been on the platform before the ship had arrived, and the guards who had been in the fighter planes. "Padme, we must go. We're like sitting ducks out here." Padme showed no signs of wanting to move, so he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to her fight. "Oi." he shouted to the guards. "Don't just stand there. Get over here."

The guards ran over, keen to avoid Harry's displeasure having heard the rumours of what he did to those who took their duty lightly.

"I shouldn't have come here." said Padme, obviously shell-shocked as Harry lead her off the platform.

"Cordé did her duty, now you must do yours." said Harry soothingly, eyes moving rapidly, looking for threats.

It was a very nervous hour until Harry had brought Padme safely to her quarters. As Harry searched the apartment, looking for anyone or anything, he noticed Padme sitting down on a sofa, obviously still shaken by the death of her long time friend.

"I should have listened to you." she said as her eyes stared off into space.

Harry walked over, and sat next to her, enveloping her in an embrace. "Life is short, too short to wonder about what if's or what may be's." He bent down and kissed her on the side of the head, trying to convey his love for her through the action, before continuing. "No one can go back and change the beginning of the story, but every day, every minute, you have the chance to go forward, and create a new ending."

They sat on that sofa for some time, neither moving or breaking the silence as they simply took comfort in the other's pleasure. "How do you seem so fine?" asked Padme eventually, and when Harry looked at her questioningly, she elaborated. "One of my best friends is dead, along with many others. How have you so easily cast aside the grief, and moved on?"

"When I first came to here, from my planet, I was ridden with grief, practically everyone I had ever known or loved, was dead. Yoda told me something then, "You can mourn for the dead, or care for the living, but you can not do both." I choose to care for the living, and so I push any sadness I feel to the side, so I can deal with it later, when no one will suffer for my grief. No come, we must go see Chancellor Palpatine about the vote."

Harry entered the opulent chambers of Chancellor Palpatine, walking alongside Padme, Jar-Jar Binks and several others, to see Jedi Master Yoda, Mace Windu and Al-Mundi already talking to Chancellor Palpatine, who spoke as they entered, "We will discuss this matter later."

Yoda approached, and spoke to Padme first, as custom dictated. "Senator Amidala, your tragedy on the landing platform...terrible. Seeing you alive brings warm feelings to my heart."

"Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?" asked Padme.

"Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo." answered Mace Windu as he rose from where he had been sitting in contemplation. Harry snorted in response, and Mace Windu looked at him. "I suppose you have a better idea?" He questioned, an air of condescension in his voice.

"Dooku. He opposes the upcoming vote that is the reason for our being here. He will want to defeat all opposition, hence this attack." replied Harry, glaring at the dark-skinned Jedi.

"He is a political idealist, not a murderer." replied Al-Mundi.

"Count Dooku was once a Jedi, he would not do such a thing." continued Mace Windu.

"He also rejected the Jedi path, hence the fact he is no longer a Jedi, and as long as you continue to think of him as a Jedi, the more you blind yourself to his actions, and what he may be planning in the future." answered Harry.

"Harry, talk we must about the Sith you defeated." said Yoda, before turning back to Padme. "Senator, certain it is that in grave danger you are."

"Master Jedi." said Palpatine, his voice like velvet as he stood, looking out the window upon the city below, looking every inch the formidable leader he was reported to be. "May I suggest the senator be placed under the protection of your graces."

"Do you really think that's a wise decision under these stressful times?" asked Bail Organa from where he stood behind Padme.

"Chancellor, if I may comment, I do not believe-" Padme begun angrily, before Palpatine interrupted.

"The situation is that serious?" asked Palpatine disbelievingly. "No, but I do, Senator. I realise all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you but, perhaps with someone you're familiar with."

"Chancellor, Padme will be safe under my protection." interjected Harry, showing no hint of subservience to the apparent leader of the Republic.

"Ah yes, the force sensitive bodyguard, who was refused teaching by the Jedi council, but believes his defeat of a rogue Jedi means he is superior to the Jedi." answered Palpatine, obviously unhappy with the interruption, and dismissive of Harry's skills. "Forgive me if I believe that someone like Master Qui-Gon could not give better protection."

"It would be possible for Master Qui-Gon to do this. I believe he and his apprentice, Skywalker, are currently in the temple. He just returned from a border dispute on Ansion." replied Mace Windu.

"Do it for me, milady, please?" pleaded the Chancellor. "The thought of losing you is unbearable."

"I will have Master Qui-Gon report to you immediately, milady." said Mace Windu, before exiting the room.

"Harry, speak with you, I would." said Yoda. Harry looked at Padme, who nodded.

"I must speak with Chancellor Palpatine anyway." she said, allowing Harry to leave the room with his old master.

"I know near the Senator, you must remain. In here, speak shall we?" asked Yoda as he entered an adjacent room, before jumping on top of one of the seats. As Harry sat on another seat, Yoda spoke. "What think you, of the Sith on Naboo?"

"He was well trained, but not overly so. He had no subtlety, so I doubt he was the Sith Lord, maybe only the apprentice. He lacked the guile, and the cunning to avoid the Jedi for so long." responded Harry. "That worries me though, he would have been a match for most Jedi masters, and it stands to reason his master would be more powerful still, and more experienced. If that is so, I doubt any but you would be able to equal his master."

"Clouds everything, the Dark Side does. Hard to see, if the truth you speak." replied Yoda.

"I hope I'm wrong, but I believe the Sith are preparing to strike and reveal their new plan to us, and when they do, they will strike hard and fast, we must be ready."

"Patience, a virtue is. Calm we must be."

"I haven't been able to rest easy for some time now." admitted Harry uncomfortably. "Something is playing on my mind, hovering just out of reach, taunting me. It tells me I won't be able to protect those I love. When I dream, I dream of you, Padme, and all the others I count as my friends, dying, and me watching, unable to help."

"Wise, you would be, to rest when peace we have. Foolish is he, who seeks confrontation, when needless it is." counselled Yoda

"I see this confrontation as inevitable, and I wish it would happen now, instead of this cursed waiting."

"The Sith, thousands of years, they have hidden. Biding their time, they are. When they strike, mystery it will be. Be happy while you can." responded Yoda.

"I know, master, I know." answered Harry, before Yoda stood up.

"Leave you must, if meet Padme you will." he said, before leaving the room. Harry walked after Yoda, but turned away to Padme as she exited the room.

"Shall we go meet my new bodyguard?" asked Padme.

**Another chapter? Incredible, although I'm hoping I'm not substituting quality for quantity. Please let me know if this is the case via a review.**


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 14

Harry walked into Padme's new chambers, quickly scanning the room to see if there were any possible threats inside. Due to the fact that nothing with in the room appeared to have been moved, and that Harry couldn't sense anyone within, he determined there was no threats, and moved to sit down beside Padme.

"I didn't notice earlier, but this is a nice apartment." mentioned Harry, looking around.

"I know." replied Padme. "And the view is wonderful." As she spoke, she stood and walked over to the window, and looked out. When she saw Harry following, she continued, "You can see so much from up here."

"We're right above a highway, that's not good. Would be too easy for someone to use the highway as a spring pad to get up here." answered Harry.

"You take everything too seriously." muttered Padme.

Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and admitted, "It is a nice view, I can't wait to see a sunset from this high up. I'm sure it will be wonderful."

Padme looked up at him, "I get the feeling you don't really care."

Harry sighed, "I don't. How can anything compare to looking at you?"

Padme slapped him on the arm lightly, "Don't be so sappy and cheesy." she said, although from her subtle blush, Harry saw she was secretly very pleased with the complement, and as Harry opened his mouth to say more, he heard Jar-Jar scream something indiscernible. Harry turned immediately having been on edge since Cordé's death, positioning himself in front of Padme to shield her from danger as he summoned a sofa in front of them and crouched behind it, blaster and wand in hand as Padme joined him.

"Mesa palos here!" cried Jar-Jar. "Lookie, lookie, Senator. Desa Jedi arriving." As Jar-Jar finished his sentence, he entered the room where Padme and Harry where taking cover. Harry looked at the Gungan from behind the sofa, and stood up sheepishly when he saw Qui-Gon and another man enter the room. He schooled his expression into a smile, and stepped forward to greet the Jedi, sheathing his weapons as he dismissively waved a hand at the sofa, sending it back to it's original place.

"Sorry, I'm a little on edge since what happened this morning." he admitted as he felt Padme walking up to stand beside him.

Qui-Gon smiled, "That's understandable."

Qui-Gon turned to Padme, and bowed elegantly, "It is a great pleasure to see you again, Senator." He said as he straightened up.

"It has been far too long, Master Jinn." she responded, shaking his hand.

Harry walked forward as well, shaking the venerable Jedi's hand. It was only when he saw the Jedi master up close that he saw the effect of age taking it's toll upon the man. His brown hair which had once been streaked with grey now appeared to be grey hair streaked with brown, and his face carried many more lines and wrinkles than it once did. Regardless, Qui-Gon's eyes were as vibrant as always, and his handshake still firm.

As Padme turned to greet the other Jedi, her face assumed an expression of shock. "Ani? My goodness, you've grown."

The other Jedi, now revealed to be Anakin, stepped forward allowing Harry to look at him. He was tall, standing slightly taller than Qui-Gon, his face showing the full vigour of life as his eyes sparkled. "So have you." replied Anakin, "Grown more beautiful, I mean." before stuttering slightly. "Well, f-for a senator I mean." His attempts at flirting were obviously discomfiting his master, but Padme smiled, her face glowing as she comprehended the compliment, and Harry stepped forward to greet the man he hadn't seen in 10 years.

"Anakin, you are much different than the little boy we found on Tatooine. You're a man, now." Harry smiled at him, before following Padme back to the recently replaced sofa, where he sat down beside her.

"Our presence here will be invisible, I assure you." said Qui-Gon as he sat down opposite the duo.

"Protecting from the shadows." replied Harry. "That's good."

"I don't need more protection." rebuked Padme, before looking at the two Jedi. "I need answers. I want to know who's trying to kill me."

"Our mission is to protect you." answered Qui-Gon as he leaned forward. "Not start an investigation."

"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Padme." said Anakin from where he was sitting, having apparently been paying attention despite his constant staring at Padme that made Harry a little uncomfortable. "I promise you."

"Your enthusiasm is great." responded Harry. "But that is not your job."

"Harry is right." continued Qui-Gon. "We have not been authorised to do that, my padawan." he finished, subtlety reminding Anakin that he was not in charge here.

Anakin turned away, "I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master."

"You will do as I say." commanded Qui-Gon, before turning back to Padme and Harry.

"Why?" challenged Anakin as Qui-Gon was about to speak.

"What?" answered Qui-Gon. As shocked as the old Master appeared to be, the others in the room were even more so at this apparent rebellion.

"Why else do you think we were assigned to her if not to find the killer? Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It's overkill, Master. Investigation is implied in our commands." said Anakin, his voice shaking with anger as it rose throughout his small speech. Harry and the others in the room were paying great attention to this verbal sparring match, their eyes following the each statement as though it were a tennis game.

Finally Harry decided to intervene. "The killer failed, here go he or she will strike again. That will be the best time to apprehend the would be assassin, rather than racing off in some wild goose chase."

"You speak wisely, my old friend." replied Qui-Gon, somehow making the timbre of his voice sound regal.

"Perhaps," said Padme, "your mere presence will lead to the mystery surrounding this threat being revealed. Now if you'll excuse me, I will retire."

"It will be good to have other force users around, sometimes when the force warns me of things, I feel like I'm going crazy." Harry told the two Jedi as Padme left to go to her bedroom, followed by her attendant. "But tell me, how is Obi-Wan?"

"He is good." replied Qui-Gon, "He has earned great renown as a wise and powerful Jedi and teaches many classes to the younglings, I believe he is seeking a padawan. I must admit that I am grateful for his presence, he helps teach Anakin as I am too old to spar with him for any length of time, at least with a lightsabre." He added, shocking Harry who wondered how someone who was unable to spar would be able to help with security.

"I never congratulated you for your defeat of the Sith on Naboo." said Anakin, who appeared shocked when Harry rounded on him and snapped at him.

"Congratulate?" Harry repeated, thunderstruck. "Congratulate my killing of another person? Murder is something that should never be celebrated."

"It was necessary for you to do so." replied Anakin, trying to defuse the situation.

"Murder may sometimes be necessary, but it should never be celebrated, nor should any joy be taken from it." added Qui-Gon, apparently agreeing with Harry.

"But we are taught that when we die, we become one with the force." retorted Anakin quietly.

"We may be become one with the force, but what do you think will happen to a Sith? Someone who has twisted the force for his own perverse needs? No, he is gone, and will never return. It is a pity, he could have become much more if the Jedi council had not refused him a master all those years ago." answered Qui-Gon, his tone remorseful. "But our time is short. Anakin and I must familiarise ourselves with the building, it would not do to be taken unawares due to us not knowing the surroundings." As Qui-Gon finished talking, he stood and began to walk to the door as Harry filled him in on the security precautions already being taken, which were mainly having guards stationed on various floors. Behind him, he noticed Anakin talking to Jar-Jar. As Qui-Gon left the room to check the security, Harry turned and walked back towards Padme's room, nodding to Anakin, who was just leaving, as he did so.

Harry lay beside Padme in their bed, Padme curled up against him as had become their habit, watching the shadows fluttering as the curtain moved. He frowned, their plan of using Padme as bait was too risky. He didn't like it, although Anakin had agreed soon enough, but Qui-Gon had not yet been informed, and most likely would have been of the same mind of Harry.

Nonetheless, Harry had eventually agreed, and so was pretending to sleep with lightsabre and blaster in hand, although covered by the sheets as he concentrated on sensing what was happening outside the window. Absentmindedly, he noticed raised voices in the other room, Qui-Gon had figured out the plan when he had returned from checking the security downstairs, and he was unhappy.

Harry closed his eyes, allowing the blocking of one of his senses to improve the strength of his others senses, most notably the force. He heard a plop, and opened his eyes. There was a droid at the window, and it had just unleashed something inside the room. Harry slowly disengaged himself from Padme without waking her, allowing him to stand up so that he could look at droid, and his gaze fell below the droid, and landed on two large, green centipedes on the ground. Harry vaguely recognised them, and although their name escaped him, he recalled they were highly poisonous. Harry took careful aim, and fired two bolts quickly, killing both centipedes.

"Qui-Gon, Anakin." he called, waking Padme in the process of calling the two Jedi into the room, before saying, "Stay here and protect her." as he ran at the window and jumped out to grab the droid, sheathing his weapons as he jumped.

Harry dangled below the droid, barely holding on as it twisted and turned through the traffic. His already precarious grip almost ended when he looked down, and saw the dizzying heights he was at. Harry wasn't one to suffer from acrophobia, obviously considering his record as a Quidditch player and his near impossible dives, but the thought of depending on some stupid droid to keep him in the air, rather than his own ability. Harry collected himself as he clung for life, realising he had his wand if anything went wrong. Harry swayed with the droid as it avoided the traffic, when ahead of him he saw someone holding a modified rifle, and aiming right at him. Just as the person fired, Harry looked down, and saw Anakin below in his yellow speeder. Sighing, he decided not to prolong the inevitable fall, and jumped at it just as the droid he was holding onto blew up.

Harry fell straight into the seat of the speeder and looked at Anakin. "Thanks."

"Sorry, I took so long, I couldn't find a nice enough speeder." replied Anakin wryly.

"I understand, you have to have style when you pursue an assailant across Coruscant. It's why I clung to a droid." he answered with a grin. "Oh look, there he is." he said as he pointed to a green speeder that had just taken off from the vantage point of where the person who had shot at him stood. Harry withdrew his blaster as Anakin skilfully guided the speeder through the traffic, hoping to get some sort of possibility of hitting the assailant. He quickly realised it was pointless when the speeder ahead began to attempt to shake them off, actually activating two power couplings to get electricity to pass through them. Unfortunately for Harry and Anakin, the two couplings were on opposite sides of the road, and as they passed through them, they were electrocuted.

"Well, no chance of falling asleep at the wheel now." said Harry, as he recovered from the shock. "No wait, don't follow him, there's a short cut through here." commanded Harry. "See look, there he is." said Harry pointing some distance behind them, before he leapt off the speeder. As he fell, he spread his body out to slow his descent, while angling it towards the speeder which had slowed down, obviously believing it had escaped. Harry fell on the speeder, clinging to the front of it, and he looked up at the windscreen where the drivers face was obscured by a veil, but from the eyes, was deeply shocked. The driver took out it's blaster, and began to fire at him, and Harry began to shimmy around the speeder, trying to avoid the bolts, occasionally using the force to readjust the drivers arm just before firing.

Harry leapt at the windscreen, apparently overshooting before clinging to the top of the cockpit. He smiled before vanishing the top of the cockpit, and he reached down to knock the blaster out of the drivers hand, absently noticing the driver appeared to be a woman. As he tried to disarm his opponent, the blaster fired, completely frying the circuits, and short-circuiting them, sending the speeder towards the ground.

"Aw hell, I can't catch a break." Harry exclaimed, before jumping off the speeder onto some crates. Looking up, he saw the speeder hit the ground heavily and carry on, eventually hitting a wall. Harry stood up shakily, and ignored the shocked gasps as he ran after the speeder. As he saw the driver exit the speeder and run off, he shouted, "That's just not fair."

A crowd came between the two, and Harry leapt over the crowd using the force to gain the necessary elevation to do so. Sprinting, Harry attempted to follow the assailant through the packed streets, weaving through the crowds as he saw the driver enter a nightclub.

"Harry." the call came from behind Harry, who turned and saw Anakin running at him. "Where is he?"

"She is in here." he responded, emphasising the she. "Come on." He said as he turned to enter the club. They entered the club side by side, spotting scantily clad women and sleazy looking men. They split up once they went inside, Anakin moving through the crowd attempting to find the person, although how he would do that as he didn't know what the would be assassin looked like was beyond Harry, who snorted at Anakin's efforts, before approaching the bar. The assailant would find them, not the other way around.

Harry engaged the barmen, asking for a shot of whiskey, the potent drink having appeared in this world as well. Beside him, a skinhead asked in a guttural voice, "Wanna buy some death sticks?"

"No." replied Harry simply, looking around, but purposefully not behind, where he could feel someone approaching with negative intentions. As the person came closer, Harry whirled around, and spotting the blaster in the person's hand, swung his foot into the air to kick said hand via a roundhouse, knocking the blaster to the ground. Harry summoned it to his hand, before shouting to the on looking crowd, "Nothing to see here. Go back to your drinks." Harry approached the girl who was on the ground, clutching her wrist. As Harry yanked the girl to her feet, for she was just a girl, probably not even out of her teens, he noticed he'd most likely broke her wrist. Harry pulled the girl outside, before lifting her up into the air, making it easier for him to carry her.

"Do you know who you were trying to kill?" Anakin asked the girl.

"It was a senator from Naboo." replied the girl, her voice ridden with pain.

"Who hired you?" asked Harry, his voice commanding.

"It was just a job. I needed the money." she answered.

"I know, but if you tell us, I'll give you 10,000 Republican credits, and let you leave this planet." replied Harry soothingly, attempting to get the answer by whatever means necessary.

"But-" said Anakin, obviously eager for justice.

"Not now." came Harry's terse reply.

"A bounty hunter called-" answered the girl, before she began to gag and groan when a dart hit her in the neck, killing her within seconds. Harry turned in the direction the dart had come from, spotting a green armoured man flying away using a jet pack. As he turned back to the girl, he noticed she had turned into a green lizard of some sort.

"A changeling." remarked Harry. "Haven't met many of them recently."

"What'll we do?" asked Anakin. "How will we find the assassin now?"

Harry ignored him, and reached down, pulling out the dart. "Toxic." he said as he handed it to Anakin. "Run it through the Jedi database. See if you can come up with anything."

Anakin nodded, before putting the dart in his pocket as Harry lifted up the corpse. "Lets return now." said Harry.

**I didn't have a whole lot to do today, I was quite bored so I decided to write this. About four hours work here, but at least I wasn't bored. Please review.**


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe know as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 15

It had been a day since the female assassin had died in Harry's arms, after disclosing that she had been hired by a bounty hunter she hadn't had time to name. Fortunately, they had a lead on the killer via the poison dart that had been fired into the changelings neck. Padme had just been summoned to Chancellor Palpatine's office, and was walking back to their apartment, obviously annoyed.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry.

"The Chancellor has decided that the situation is too serious for me to remain here. He has issued an executive order to me, sending me to Naboo until such time as it is deemed safe for me to return." replied Padme, her annoyance well hidden in her voice to all who didn't know her better.

"I'm sensing that's not all." answered Harry, looking at Padme whose face betrayed all the subtle signs of her anger, right down to the slightly dilated pupils and the flushed cheeks.

"No, he has decided that "for my own protection," Anakin should accompany me."

"I'm sensing some hostility here." commented Harry wryly.

"I am very hostile. I have worked for too long this past year on this stupid vote, not to be here when the decision is announced." answered Padme angrily, glaring at Harry. "I do not appreciate your attempted humour at the present time."

That shut Harry up. When she spoke "officially" to him, she was pissed. "I'll be quiet now." replied Harry softly.

As they entered their apartment to begin packing for the return journey, Harry swept Padme up in to his arms, holding her in an attempt to calm her. "Everything will be fine." he whispered in her ear. "Jar-Jar should be more than capable of casting Naboo's vote, and you've already convinced so many to follow Naboo's lead in this." He continued, trying to sooth her frayed nerves.

Eventually Padme pulled away from Harry, kissing him on the cheek saying, "Thank you. I was just so annoyed at this."

"I could tell." answered Harry wryly. "Besides, think of all the free time we'll have." He said with a lecherous grin as he looked her up and down.

Padme laughed, "You're incorrigible. Is that all men think about?"

"No. Wait, yes. Yes, it is. Especially around someone as beautiful as you." answered Harry.

Padme looked at Harry. "That was one of the worst compliments I've ever heard." Harry shrugged in response, and was about to respond when the doors opened behind them. Harry turned and saw Anakin and Qui-Gon enter the room.

"Hello." he greeted the Jedi, who bowed in response.

"We were wondering if you heard the new arrangements?" asked Qui-Gon.

"Of course." responded Padme. "I was about to start packing."

"I know that Padme and I will be returning to Naboo along with Anakin." continued Harry, catching Anakin's attention for a moment. "Did he actually think he would be travelling with Padme alone." thought Harry, before continuing out loud. "But I was wondering what you'll be doing, Master Jedi?"

"I shall be scanning the Jedi archives to find information on that dart. Obi-Wan shall be aiding me." replied Qui-Gon, before he started. "Ah, I forgot to give you something." Here the Jedi began to rummage through his cloak, before removing a cylindrical object.

"Is that a...?" asked Harry, thunderstruck at the apparent generosity.

"Yes. I made it for you after Naboo. I thought you could use one suited to you." came the reply from the venerable Jedi, who handed over the lightsabre. "I hope it serves you well."

Harry smiled, and turned on the lightsabre, causing a blue blade to shoot out the end. Harry stepped away, and swung it around a few times, cycling through a few basic strikes, checking the balance. Unlike Master Yoda's old lightsabre, this one was longer, about the length of a broadsword from Earth, and fit Harry much better. Harry turned back to Qui-Gon and bowed. "This is incredible."

"Every Jedi should have a lightsabre." came the reply.

Harry looked up from his new lightsabre, "I'm not a Jedi.""Maybe not in name, but in deed." Qui-Gon replied wisely. "I must go. It will take quite some time to transverse the collected knowledge of the Jedi over the past few thousand years." Qui-Gon bowed to Harry and Padme, before leaving.

"Padme, are you going to begin packing now?" asked Harry.

"Alright." came the resigned reply. "Suppose I best start sometime."

"I'll go arrange transport for us back to Naboo." said Harry as he began to walk towards the door. "And yes, it will be unregistered." He continued, realising Anakin had been about to speak, most likely about that exact thing.

Harry walked back into the apartment, having successful arranged transport back to Naboo on one of the large transport ships. As he walked towards where he sensed Padme and Anakin where, which was the bedroom, a conversation reached Harry's ears.

"It's worse than that." Anakin said petulantly. "He's overly critical. He never listens. He doesn't understand. It's not fair."

As Anakin finished, Harry entered the room and announced himself with a typical remark. "I'm half surprised you didn't stamp your foot there." Anakin spun round and saw him.

"I was just..." Anakin begin, before trailing off.

"Ranting about Qui-Gon?" asked Harry as Padme grabbed more clothes out of her wardrobe and packed them in a suitcase. "You'd already unpacked?" He asked her, and she looked up and nodded.

"One of the first things I do." she replied. "I find it better than living out of a suitcase, unlike some people." she finished with a pointed look at Harry, who shrugged.

Anakin looked at Harry, "Sometimes I feel having a master who is so much older than me is..."

"Unfair?" supplied Padme with a smirk.

"It's like we're from different era's. And different things matter to us." Anakin responded.

"That's more mature than "It's not fair." said Harry. "You're growing up." He laughed.

Anakin turned to Harry, "Sometimes, I think about you."

Harry smirked evilly, before interjecting a comment. "You think about me." Padme slapped his shoulder as she walked past.

"Be nice." she admonished him. "You may continue Anakin."

"As I was saying, sometimes I think about you, and how you were rejected by the Jedi council, and how I was accepted even though we were both above the maximum age requirement. Sometimes I feel good that they bent the rule for me, it makes me feel special." Anakin smiled as he stared out the window. "Other times, I wonder if you wouldn't be the better Jedi out of us." He finished, looking at Harry to see if he would respond.

"When you joined, you were 9, I was 18 when I was rejected. Double your age." Harry responded dutifully, thinking carefully about how to answer. "The Jedi council wants young children to join so that they can teach them their values, and what they believe is right. The older you are, the more likely you are to reject their views, you were young enough you could probably accept them, so they risked it. I was older, in my teens, and had preset values that I had chosen for myself. Even though I agree with the Jedi on many things, I wouldn't make a good Jedi, I disagree with their values and codes too much, but I will still fight by their side against whatever darkness is coming."

"You're oddly wise." mentioned Anakin.

"You sound surprised." remarked Harry, absently noticing that Padme had finished packing and was standing up.

"Should we go now?" she asked. "Chancellor Palpatine wanted me to leave as soon as I could."

"Alright." replied Harry. "The ship leaves in a few hours, I'll just grab my stuff. Anakin, I suggest you do the same."

Harry sat in the shuttle taking himself, Padme, Anakin, Qui-Gon and Padme's attendant Dormé.

"Be safe, milady." said Dormé.

"I'll be fine." replied Padme, smiling sadly.

"I worry about you." answered Dormé. "What if they realise you've left the capital?" she asked morbidly.

Harry walked up to the duo from where he had been listening to the conversation, and wrapped an arm around Padme. "Then I'll welcome the opportunity to face them out in the open, not in shadows."

"But you won't be there all the time." pointed out Dormé.

"Well, in that case, my Jedi protector will have to prove how good he is." replied Padme. As the trio spoke, Harry could hear Qui-Gon admonishing Anakin, telling him not to act without permission, and Anakin agreeing to the demand.

"I'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, milady." said Qui-Gon as he approached. "You will be able to return soon."

"I'll be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi." replied Padme, just before Harry spoke as he looked out the window.

"We should go now." Harry hugged Dormé after Padme, before leading her outside, turning back to Qui-Gon to offer a farewell. "May the force be with you.""And with you, old friend." replied the wizened Jedi as Harry picked up his and Padme's suitcases, leaving Anakin to carry his own.

"Anyone else suddenly have a bad feeling?" asked Padme.

"This is my first mission without Qui-Gon, I feel quite scared as well." admitted Anakin, before looking back at R2-D2 who was following them. "R2 will protect us from harm." He joked, causing Padme to laugh as they boarded the ship.

Harry sat with Padme and Anakin at the onboard restaurant of the ship, having just ordered via R2, the affable droid having went to receive the food. Harry was devoting most of his time to scanning the crowded eating area for threats, but noted R2 returning and Padme thanking him.

"Must be difficult." began Padme, trying to break the silence that had fallen upon the trio. "Having sworn your life to the Jedi, not being able to visit the places you like, or do the things you like."

"Or be with the people I love." continued Anakin quickly, causing Harry to start slightly.

"Are you allowed to love?" asked Padme, confusedly. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

"Love is the source of everything good in this world." replied Harry as he looked around the room, discreetly noting the fluid movements of a Twi'lek male, and concluding he had combat training. "Such bastions of purity as the Jedi see themselves must allow themselves to love, besides, love is natural. To deny yourself what is natural, is to weaken yourself."

Anakin looked at his dinner for a minute, before responding. "Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. As Harry said, this form of love is the source of all the good that a Jedi does. So, you could say a Jedi is encouraged to love, but not to become attached to what we love. It is... hard."

"You've matured in more ways than one." praised Padme.

"You haven't changed at all. You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams." Anakin said as he leant back in his chair, unaware his words were setting off massive alarm bells in Harry's head, and Harry was only soothed by the thought that Jedi weren't allowed romantic relationships. Harry absently noticed Padme seemed discomfited by the statement as well, her small smile disappearing as she looked at her food.

Anakin himself seemed to realise he'd ruined the mood, and quickly changed the subject.

"It's good to be home." mentioned Padme as she leaned against Harry's side, tucked beneath Harry's arm.

Harry glanced out the window, noting they were begin to descend quite rapidly, but also noticing that Anakin was glaring daggers at him. "Nothing quite like returning to a familiar place to feel make you feel more secure." replied Harry as he stood, pulling Padme to her feet as well. "I'll get our luggage." He told her, before quickly leaving to grab said luggage. As he returned, he saw Padme and Anakin were waiting at the door, and walked outside with them.

"Is it weird?" asked Anakin. "Returning to a place you used to rule? What was it like ruling?"

"I wasn't the youngest Queen ever elected, but now that I think back on it." she replied. "I'm not sure I was old enough. I'm not sure I was ready."

"The people you served thought you did a good job." mentioned Anakin. "I heard they even tried to amend the constitution so you could stay in office."

"I was relieved when my two terms were up." replied Padme. "As I'm sure Harry was."

"It wasn't good for my nerves, I can tell you that much. You were terrible with security, constant visits to other planets in the system and visiting the market." said Harry shuddering. "And you haven't gotten much better now that you're a senator."

"If you were so relieved not to be queen anymore, why did you become a senator?" asked Anakin as they walked below the archway's on their way to the Palace to meet Queen Jamilla.

"When the queen asked me to serve, I couldn't refuse her." responded Padme.

"More's the pity." muttered Harry.

"I'm not that bad." laughed Padme.

"I'm starting to get quite worried here." mentioned Anakin, before allowing a comfortable silence to fall upon the trio.

As they entered the throne room, Harry nodded to the various guards stationed around the room. When he had been protecting Padme when she was queen, he had introduced reforms to the Queen's guard, and as Harry looked around the room, he noticed they were continuing these reforms.

"Senator Amidala." greeted the queen. "What do you think will happen if the vote goes through due to your absence?" She asked, throwing in a subtle reprimand.

"If the vote is passed, the Republic will degenerate into civil war." Padme replied.

"It's unthinkable." exclaimed an advisor pompously. Harry recognised him as the head of the largest trading company on Naboo, given his post due to his influence over the economy, and he felt this entitled him to constantly state his opinion, even on matters he was uninformed in. "There hasn't been a full scale war since the formation of the Republic."

"First time for everything." responded Harry, receiving a rebuke for his flippant attitude to the dilemma from the queen.

The Queen then turned to Padme. "Do you see anyway to bring the separatists back into the Republic?" she asked, genuinely wanting an answer, hopeful to avoid a war.

"Not if they feel threatened." replied Padme.

"And so, logically, the Senate decides that they want to build an army." continued Harry. "Successfully driving the Separatists into the arms of the Commerce Guilds or the Trade Federation, practically guaranteeing a war."

"It's outrageous." Harry inwardly sighed as the pompous advisor spoke up again. "But after 4 trials, Nute Gunray is still the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. The Senate is powerless to resolve this crisis."

"We must keep our faith in the Republic." said Jamilla despondently, before standing and leaving her desk to stand beside Padme. "The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it."

"Let's pray that day never comes." replied Padme.

"In the meantime, we must consider your own safety." replied the Queen.

"What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?" piped up the overly vocal advisor.

"Oh, Anakin's not a Jedi yet. He's still a padawan learner, but I was thinking-" dismissed Padme, before an overly defensive Anakin interrupted.

"Hold on a minute."

"Excuse me." Padme skilfully dismissed the angry padawan. "I was thinking I would stay in the lake country. It's been a while since Harry and I were there."

"It is beautiful, and remote." added Harry. "It's a good idea, and the location itself has some good memories." He finished, thinking back to several glorious nights spent curled up in front of a fire.

"I thought I was supposed to be in charge of security, milady." said Anakin, as he faced Padme confrontationally.

"And this is my home. I know it very well, as does Harry, hence the reason we are here." responded Padme, a hint of anger in her voice. "I think it would be wise if you took advantage of my knowledge in this instance."

"It is always wise to defer to those who have greater knowledge in that field than you." advised Harry, trying to defuse the situation as he noticed Jamilla and her advisors paying very close attention to the argument.

Anakin took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself, before forcing a pained smile. "Sorry milady." he apologised, his voice showing signs of anger.

Padme glared at him, no doubt angry for undermining her authority, before Queen Jamilla spoke. "It's settled then."

**Not my best work, but it is 2 O'clock in the morning, so, screw it. Can anyone tell me if T means some profanity is allowed? I'm not quite sure if it works the same way as movie rating do, anyway please review. By the way, I updated 5 times in 6 days, and received a review after that saying please update soon. That's just annoying. Also, I was reading some very good Star Wars fanfics by "TheRealThing," and recommend them to any of my readers.**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter in any shape or form other than the books. If I had the catastrophe known as the Half Blood Prince and the abomination known as the Deathly Hallows would not have been unleashed upon humankind. Seeing as they have, it is logical to assume that I don't own Harry Potter. I do own... very little now that I think about it. I also do not own Star Wars, however much I may wish otherwise and it is doubtful that I ever will.

Chapter 16

Harry, Padmé and Anakin arrived at the Nabarrie lake house, which normally housed Padmé's sister, Sola, and her husband, Darred, but they were visiting other planets much as Harry and Padmé had done so recently.

Once more, Harry was dumbstruck by the abject beauty of the lake house. It was a beautiful mansion situated at the lakeside, every room having a wonderful view of either the serenity of the lake, or the innate beauty of the forest surrounding it. There were plants and trees everywhere outside the mansion, and the unplanned flora assault of the house allowed for a natural and peaceful aura to surround the house.

As the trio left the gondola that Harry had steered to the house, Anakin moved forward slightly, allowing Harry to help Padmé out of the gondola, fully aware that although it wasn't needed, it was the gentlemanly thing to do. As he did so, he whispered to Padmé, "Anakin is supposed to be in charge of your protection, second only to me. You should not have undermined him as you did, and your dismissal of him as only a padawan was most abrupt." The chastisement was received stoically by Padmé who made no response.

She walked ahead with Anakin, explaining to him her history with the lake house. "We used to come here for school retreats. We would swim to that island every day." she said as she pointed out the island in question. Harry smiled, he had good memories of days spent frolicking in the waves there with Padmé, and watching the sunset fall upon the sea.

As Padmé lead Anakin to the veranda where they could look out over the ocean and enjoy the view, Harry was stirred from his pleasurable memories when he heard his name. Padmé was speaking and had been describing the way she and her friends had listened to the birds singing, "We would try and guess which bird was singing." she said, "I did it recently with Harry, who came up with some rather peculiar names for the birds."

Harry smirked, something he had been doing a lot more of these days, he had recalled how annoyed Padmé had been when he had named several of the birds as similar to those on Earth, and had called them such. He also recalled making up several names for them as his knowledge of birds was rather limited.

"I don't like sand." interjected Anakin morbidly, causing Harry to remember that Anakin had grown up on Tatooine, and for him, sand was something to be annoyed with when it melded together into storms, while for others, it was a place to spend a nice, enjoyable day out with. "It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere."

Here, Harry spoke up. "That is true. Do you remember when the sand got into our sandwiches?" he asked Padmé, causing Anakin to laugh.

"How apt." he replied. "I'm sure the sand here is much nicer than that back on Tatooine."

"It is." answered Padmé, "It is much smoother, and it is warmed a little by the sun so that it tingles against your back while sunbathing."

As Anakin looked at Padmé, Harry had no doubt he was imaging her in a bikini, something remarkable easy to do due to her attire. Due to the heat at the lake house, Padmé had changed into a summer dress that was backless and flowed over her skin, culminating in Anakin having a look akin to lust in his eyes.

Feeling a burst of possessiveness over Padmé as he noticed Anakin leaning in towards Padmé as though about to kiss her, Harry stepped forward, "It is a beautiful day, but still I am hungry, so would anyone like to join me for something to eat?"

Padmé nodded immediately, obviously slightly unnerved by Anakin's attempted action. Together, with Anakin, they went into the Nabarrie house to eat. "Perhaps we might have a picnic?" asked Padmé.

Several frantic hours later, the trio were sitting out in a field near the lake house, beside the river just after the warmest part of the day. The kitchen staff having been sent into overdrive when they heard of the trio's plan for a picnic.

The current topic of conversation was the first kiss, "I've never kissed anyone before, as a Jedi, I'm not supposed to, and I was too young before then." said Anakin, feeling the need to defend his apparent lack of experience. "What about you?" Anakin asked Harry.

"I was 15, and I'd had a crush on a girl called Cho Chang for about a year at this stage, and it was Christmas. She was very pretty and we kissed beneath the mistletoe. I distinctly it being wet because she started crying for her dead boyfriend, who incidentally died in front of me about 6 months before this. We actually went on a date a month later or so, and I think we lasted an hour. The point when I realised how terribly the date was going was when we walked into a café with pink confetti." Harry laughed as the others looked at him incredulously. "In hindsight, it maybe wasn't the best idea."

"You think?" asked Padmé.

Sensing the teasing that was to come from this embarrassing anecdote, Harry quickly asked Padmé about her first kiss.

"I was 12." said Padmé as she played with the grass beneath her. "His name was Palo; we were both in the Legislative Youth Programme. He was a few years older than I, and very cute. Dark curly hair, dreamy eyes."

"All right, I get the picture." said Anakin, obviously unhappy, and silently Harry agreed. "Whatever happened to him?"

"I went into public service; he became an artist." replied Padmé.

"Maybe he was the smart one." stated Anakin immediately after Padmé had finished talking.

"You really don't like politicians, do you?" asked Padmé in response.

"That's thinking I can get behind." interjected Harry. "On my home planet, they were all corrupt cowards who hid behind their desks, slandered any opposition and tried to get maximum reward for minimum effort, I swear, there were times I wanted to kill them in the most brutal method possible. The Republic's not much better."

"There are a few good politicians, although I'm not sure about one of them." Anakin responded, with a teasing tone in his voice towards the end as he looked at Padmé.

Padmé laughed, and Harry chuckled before Anakin continued, "I don't think the system works."

"How would it work if you could make whatever changes you want?" asked Harry.

"We need a system where politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agree what's in the best interests of all the people, then do it." replied Anakin, shrugging as he finished as though not entirely believing in what he was saying.

"That's the way it is now." responded Padmé immediately, and Harry quickly added.

"That's the way it's supposed to be. The reality is far different, each person only working for the interests of their own people, and themselves. And even if all the politicians did as you suggest, who's to say they would agree upon the best course of action? Different people give different values to different things, so they will choose a different course of action."

Anakin looked away in thought, "They should be made to agree."

"By who?" asked Harry. "You?"

"Of course not me, someone wise and intelligent." replied Anakin.

"Sounds like a dictatorship to me." dismissed Padmé.

"Besides, even the wisest make mistakes, and although they aren't as often as those of less experienced men, they generally have far worse consequences." responded Harry, quoting Dumbledore. "Besides, who says this wise person can make them agree in the right way?"

"Perhaps it isn't the best solution to have a mediator in the Senate," yielded Anakin, before he put forward the challenge, "But our current system doesn't work."

"I'm not saying it works." responded Padmé, "I'm simply saying it shouldn't be changed simply because it might seem that there is another path that could be the lesser of two evils."  
"But if you don't attempt to adapt and evolve, you stagnate." countered Harry.

"Whose side are you on?" asked Padmé, mock outrage in her voice at the apparent traitorous characteristic Harry had just shown.

"That depends on who's on my side." answered Harry, causing Anakin to laugh.

"Must we spend the day enraptured in pointless political debate?" asked Padmé.

"Oh, please no." moaned Anakin, "That was always my least favourite class back at the Temple, despite how often Qui-Gon told me it was important."  
"It is important, if you want to work with the Senate or something, but even then, it is incredibly boring, but that might just be me." responded Harry, "But moving on to more enjoyable topics, it is a beautiful day, who wants to go for a swim?"

Later that evening, they were eating dinner, and Anakin was describing one of his and Qui-Gon's many exploits settling disputes. "And when I got to them, we went into aggressive negotiations." Anakin said, before thanking one of the attendants who was serving them food.

"What's that?" asked Padmé inquisitively, as Harry laughed.

"Negotiations with a lightsaber." replied Harry causing Padmé to laugh, "My favourite kind."

Padmé picked up her knife and fork, and was about to start eating her dinner, well more precisely her starter, which consisted of a pear. As she was about to cut up the pear, Harry felt a tendril of force reach out and touch it, lifting it into the air and over to Anakin, where it was placed on his plate.

Padmé looked at him, her eyes asking the question, "What are you doing?"

"If Master Qui-Gon caught me doing this." said Anakin as he began to cut up the pear, "He'd be very grumpy."  
As Anakin began to send the sliced fruit back to Padmé, she smiled at him, although inwardly Harry wondered what the point was, other than to simply flaunt his ability with the force, which is most likely something that would annoy those who can't use the force. "Although," thought Harry, "It might impress someone who hasn't spent the past few years around a force and magic user like Padmé has."

As they continued to eat, the conversation flowed easily between the three, with much laugher and teasing to be had by all as they enjoyed a delicious meal. As they retired to the sitting room, one of the guards of the mansion approached Harry.

"Sir, there is a transmission for you." he said. Harry turned back to Padmé and Anakin, who had stopped to see why Harry was no longer with them, signalling for them to go on without him.

Harry followed the guard to one of the rooms, and pressed the button to activate the hologram, incredibly curious as to what it held. As it turned out, it was Shannon, Michael's wife, who had left the message, wanting to let Harry know that Ben had been recruited as a pilot for one of the trading companies. Harry sent a reply expressing his pleasure that such a good opportunity had come along for the aspiring pilot, as generally pilots first had to serve on the ship in a lower position before being allowed to fly.

A quick talk with one of the guards later, just to check if anything unusual had happened (it hadn't) and Harry was heading back to the sitting room in which Padmé and Anakin had been talking in. As Harry approached, he noticed the swish of a cloak moving away from him around a corner, and fearing the worst, which was an assassin, he ran forward into the room to find Padmé sitting on the sofa crying, her eyes begin to get puffy as her makeup began to run.

Harry rushed over to her and enveloped her in a hug, trying to calm and sooth her. Padmé curled up against him, seeking reassurance.

"What happened? Where's Anakin?" asked Harry even as he felt his shirt getting wetter.

"He left. He told me he loved me and that he'd thought of me every day since Tatooine." sniffed Padmé.

Harry inwardly cringed, making a mental note to which Anakin closely around Padmé, "That's just creepy." He said, trying to alleviate the tension in the room as he tried to reassure Padmé.

"He wanted us to be together, he wouldn't listen to me, and he wanted us to have a secret affair." Having already made a confession about what Anakin wanted, Padmé was finding it easier and easier to simply keep talking, the words almost tripping over each other as they surged out of her.

"Would you like me to talk to him?" asked Harry, getting an instant response when Padmé shook her head against him.

"That would just make things more awkward." responded Padmé desolately.

Harry looked down at Padmé, "Something else is wrong?" asked Harry.

"It made me wonder, should we tell others about us?" queried Padmé, looking up at Harry through her eyelashes, seemingly unaware of how attractive that made her look.

"That has always been your decision. If you want to, or if you think it's the right thing, then do so. It doesn't matter to me who knows, I just want to be with you." replied Harry. "Although, it might stop people flirting with you." continued Harry, ending with a teasing tone.

"You have to stop being jealous of all the guys who come near me." commanded Padmé, and Harry smirked evilly.

"Who said I was worried about the guys?" he responded rhetorically, leaving Padmé speechless.

"But...I'm...eh." Padmé attempted to respond.

"Eloquent as always." laughed Harry, as picking Padmé up. "It's been a long day, let's go to bed." As Harry carried Padmé to bed, he realised tonight would be one of those nights in which he simply provided comfort for Padmé, and held her due to her emotionally distraught state.

Harry awoke to sound of the gentle humming of a lightsaber. He slipped out of bed, taking extra care not to wake Padmé as he extricated himself from her grasp as he did so, and walked towards the source of the noise, summoning his lightsaber to his hand as he did so.

He walked outside into a marble paved courtyard and saw Anakin practising his lightsaber. Harry watched for a moment before calling out, "Djem-So?" Naming one of the forms of the lightsaber that Jedi were taught.

Anakin replied in the affirmative, and Harry answered, "Care for a duel?"

Anakin smiled, and changed his lightsaber setting before attacking Harry. Some quick blade work from Harry blocked the attack, and the follow-up attacks that came after. He blocked an attack coming at his left shoulder, before using a force-assisted leap to be able to attack Anakin's exposed back. Anakin twisted to avoid the thrust, and immediately attacked again.

Harry realised that something was annoying Anakin immensely, and he was channelling this into the duel, unknowingly changing his form to Vaapad, the form common to the Sith of old due to it's attacking nature.

"Something vexes you?" asked Harry as he ducked under another wild swing from Anakin. He scored a point almost immediately afterwards as he tapped Anakin on the leg.

"I had a nightmare about my mother. She was in pain, I saw her as clearly as I see you now." responded Anakin, punctuating his sentence with a number of grunts as he tried to penetrate Harry's defence, growing more and more annoyed at the apparent ease Harry had in defending. "She is suffering, and I am powerless to protect her or help her in anyway."

Harry sensed that the duel was making Anakin angrier more than anything, and so skilfully ended the match by involving himself in a grapple with Anakin, and deftly disengaging in a way that ensured Anakin's lightsaber flew into the air.

Harry summoned it with the force and handed it to Anakin. "Perhaps you should try mediation?"

As they finished their duel, Padmé clapped from her room where she had been watching, before exiting through the door. "That was superb," she said, before looking closely at Anakin. "Is something wrong?" she asked Anakin, revealing to Harry the fact that she hadn't heard their conversation.

Harry turned away from the duo as Anakin explained his nightmare about his mother, and looked out over the sea and the calm serenity of it, as well as the immense power it hid beneath its peaceful exterior. Anakin's words jarred Harry from his reverie over the ocean, "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you, Senator, but I have to go. It is killing me to be unable to help her."

"We'll go with you." responded Padmé, gesturing to herself and Harry.

Harry nodded; he needed to go just to see Anakin's reaction if anything had happened to his mother. Something about his anger in their duel this morning seemed off, thought Harry, unable to find a better way to describe the odd feeling the force was giving him about it. "If Padmé and I are with you, then you do not break you mandate, and you can check on your mother."

**I'm aware of the delay, but I just couldn't be bothered writing this chapter, plus it was so boring to write. Anyway, as always please review, read my other stories, recommend to friends and so on and so forth.**


	17. Chapter 17

Hey all, this is Wormyrug.

I have very bad news, I was in a car crash recently and broke my left arm in three places, which means no more updates for a while. Sorry.

But would anyone mind looking at my friends band, the culnafay folkestra:

Add this to the basic you tube website /user/ClaraTheGreater


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